How comfortable are you engaging in classroom discussions about climate change?
A national shift toward solutions and action Effective climate change education requires leadership at all levels.
I’m pretty comfortable doing it because science is a thing. Like, the facts are kind of undeniable. I know there’s lots of people who are climate change deniers, but I feel like [if] we present everything in a cohesive way and are able to have these conversations, then that’s fine.
I’m fairly comfortable myself, but I take it from an angle of let’s be critical thinkers, and I change it more into a lesson of how do we establish what is information, what is misinformation? In my small, rural community, I can’t pick a side because there’s going to be people on both sides, so my whole thing is, if I can teach my students to be critical thinkers and go seek the information, then I’m not painting them with my liberal ideas. These kids are constantly worried about those kinds of big ideas, and it wraps around into so many other topics
“ Without clear policy, climate change education often relies on the competence, dedication, commitment and enthusiasm of devoted teachers.” - Dr. Ellen Field, Lakehead University
Cory Hare
Managing Editor, ATA Magazine
Shannon O’Halloran English and social studies Westwood Community High School, Fort McMurray
FRACTURED AND UNEVEN. Those are the words that researcher Ellen Field uses to describe how climate change is included in the various K–12 curriculums of Canada’s provinces and territories. An assistant professor in climate change education at Lakehead University, Field led a research team that conducted a 2022 Canadawide analysis of K–12 curriculum, documenting the number of climate change references, the grade and subject, and whether the references oc- curred in mandatory or elective courses. The study revealed a wide disparity in approaches between the various prov- inces and territories. “The review shows uneven inclusion of climate change topics, themes and units within grade 7–12 curricula, with most expectations occurring in elective senior secondary courses,” Field’s team wrote. “A second level of analysis with a ranking tool indicates shallow inclusion.” The researchers found 25 references to climate change in Alberta’s K–12 curriculum, all taking place within science courses, with 20 per cent of those taking place in mandatory courses. This placed Alberta at the lower end of the spectrum in terms of number of references. How- ever, an analysis of curriculum depth put Alberta in the middle of the pack. Manitoba’s approach is vastly different from the others, with almost 170 refer- ences in its curriculum. However, all of
been focused on teaching the science of climate change and addressing misinfor- mation, with the underlying assumption being that increased knowledge will lead to changes in attitude and behav- iour. However, research has shown that assumption to be erroneous. Field argues that a more holistic and interdisciplinary approach is needed, that focusing just on science misses opportunities to adopt a more transdisciplinary approach that includes the exploration of solutions and actions to mitigate climate change. The paper concludes by advocating for leadership from the very top. “If the Canadian K–12 education sys- tem intends to be an actor in the global move to meet 1.5 degrees of warming by 2030, there is a critical need for edu- cational leadership within ministries of education to ensure that curriculum is im- proved when it comes to climate change content.” Reference Field, E., Spiropoulos, G., Nguyen, A.T., Grewal, R.K. 2023. “Climate Change Education within Canada’s Regional Curricula: A Systematic Review of Gaps and Opportunities.” Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy 202 : 155–184.
these occur in elective courses. From the perspective of a climate change advo- cate, it’s preferable to have the subject addressed in mandatory courses. “A mandatory course ensures that students going through their educational experience will have exposure and learn about it,” Field said in an interview. The report singles out British Col- umbia, the Yukon and Nova Scotia for having more than 50 per cent of their climate change expectations occurring in mandatory courses. Nova Scotia was the highest, at 98 per cent. British Columbia, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick also earned praise for promo- ting a more competency-based, active learning approach. “The shift to concept-based and com- petency-driven curriculum first initiated by British Columbia and then in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick was an im- portant step for promoting active learning strategies across K–12 schooling,” the researchers wrote. “However, this shift necessitated increased funding in profes- sional development for teachers to shift teaching practices to competency-driven approaches and to link issues like climate change to big idea concepts within the curriculum.” Getting past the science Overall, Field’s paper points out that climate change education has generally
Stephanie Cumbleton, president Aspen View Local No. 7 Junior/senior high mathematics Boyle School, Boyle
Very comfortable, because back when I was in university, like in 1983 when I graduated, we were talking about it then, so I was fairly comfortable talking about it in front of the class.
I’m fairly comfortable, but I probably have a different set of opinions because we’re farmer- and oilfield-based communities and so my version of climate change is maybe a little bit different than some- body from the city, but I feel like I’m fairly comfortable talking about it from a farming and oilfield perspective.
Megan Wianko Grade 5-6 Gus Wetter School, Castor
Blaine Woodall Math-science teacher Calling Lake School, Calling Lake
Canadian students are feeling climate anxiety ... Climate change makes me feel
Confidence factor 32% of Alberta teachers feel they have the knowledge and skills to teach about climate change. Ȥ Source: Canada, Climate Change and Education: Opportunities for Public and Formal Education, Dr. Ellen Field, Lakehead University.
65.6% 64.6% 62.8% 57.9% 53.4%
Afraid
Sad Anxious Helpless
Angry
... but also hope. Can something be done about the climate crisis if people work together? Yes: 71% Ȥ Source: Importance of Climate Leadership in Schools: Pedagogy & New Opportunities for Learning, Dr. Ellen Field, Faculty of Education, Lakehead University.
ATA Magazine Fall 2025
22
23
THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting