Novel contexts such as climate change education require novel methods of teaching and teachers need to be supported in acquiring and developing innovative teaching skills and methods to increase all-around students’ active citizens and transversal skills.
It is a multi- and interdisciplinary problem closely linked to the natural and social sciences, morals and technology. Understanding and comprehending this complex topic can be difficult for a teacher. Many teachers are unprepared for the integration of action and content knowledge that characterises climate change education, especially those in science where subject knowledge tends to be more factual.
Climate change education provides an important window into individual and societal responsibility, making it relevant for all partners involved and a global urgent matter. There is no need to mention global policies on the matter and the global movement to bring the topic a priority at any level and in any field.
As educators, schools not only have an interest in teaching subjects that will prepare students for careers and earn them good test scores, but to teach them to be mindful citizens. Teaching on climate change means teaching on topics like environmental stewardship and collective responsibility — teaching students that they and those around them have a responsibility to something larger than they do.
In order to reach the wider goal, the partners will:
- establish a multi-national and MULTI-DISCIPLINARY NETWORK composed by the professionals with different expertise and professionalism related to climate change, or environmental topics, belonging to different sectors and fields, to offer a more varied and holistic approach to the communication possibilities and solutions
- investigate EFFECTIVE PEDAGOGIES and communication solutions on how to deal with the topic at school and in relation with other subjects in the curricula
- formalize a program useful to TEACHERS TO INCREASE THEIR COMMUNICATION competences, ability to understand the complexity of the issue and how to foster transversal skills out of the process
- elaborate ready and easy to use LESSONS, based on actual school subjects teachers can use during normal class hours, as support materials and complementary/integration to normal text books contents.
- assessing the results with 20 external evaluators with different specialty, professional background and affiliation to ensure accuracy of contents and quality of resources
- foster the exploitation, sustainability and transfer of the resources created by diffusing them on different channels and events
- Increase the usability and relevance of the proposed products, by testing it with schools coming from the 6 partners’ countries
Through the CC-EDU project, schools have an opportunity to teach their students to evaluate a variety of evidence and draw their own conclusions. If students are to leave school and tackle issues head-on, they cannot do so without understanding how to use information and balance opposing viewpoints.
The possibility for offering more targeted support to help teachers develop competences, enhances the quality of teaching in general (School development and excellent teaching for a great start in life COM(2017) 248 final). A holistic, individualized and young-people-centered approach is crucial for keeping the interest of young people in any topic, on climate change in particular.