Abstract

Global climate change has become an important planetary issue. Despite the scientific consensus about climate change and the potential risk, the media often portrays the science as controversial and subject to debate. In response, we have been integrating climate change curriculum into our preservice elementary science methods courses. Climate change is an issue that is useful for teaching concepts spanning several fields of science, as well the nature of science. For the past three years, we have been assessing our students’ knowledge of climate science concepts, but have begun to wonder about their overall concern about climate change and their views on the evidence, causes, impacts and solutions. A survey on their perspectives of climate change was administered pre and post to taking the methods course to 154 students. This was triangulated with qualitative observational data of students during the course. Before the course, 52% were convinced that global warming is happening, compared to 89% after completing the course. Pre-course, 49% viewed human activity as the main cause of climate change, compared to 74% after the course. Overall, students’ views about global climate change shifted toward being more concerned. This is a significant result and implies that, since these preservice teachers will soon be teaching our youth in schools, this may be a good start to overcoming public misunderstandings about global climate change.