Climate change education in free-choice-learning settings: Approaches and beliefs of education staff

Background/Question/Methods: Beliefs filter knowledge and drive behavior. Thus, the public's beliefs about climate change (and the scientific process) affect how they receive and interpret climate change education experiences and messages. Likewise, educators' own beliefs filter the activities that they do and the direct and indirect ways they communicate messages (or not). To change attitudes about climate change, education experiences must address these beliefs and encourage individuals to recognize and challenge their own assumptions. We are exploring approaches and attitudes at informal science education organizations in Maryland and Delaware (e.g., zoos, aquariums, environmental education centers, youth groups, governmental agency outreach). We surveyed education staff on their climate change education programming, its impacts, and any challenges. In addition, we developed a survey instrument that examines climate change beliefs and attitudes of these staff members and their audiences.

Results/Conclusions: Our results indicate staff at informal science education organizations view climate change education as relevant but not part of their mission. Their organizations often lack specific climate change programming, instead weaving it into other topics such as shifts in migration patterns and human impacts on habitats. They usually do not target a specific audience or seek behavior change. They do cite numerous barriers associated with climate change education including dismissive audiences, conflicts with competing messages, and lack of appropriate hooks to engage free-choice learners. Our findings suggest that climate change should be reframed to help informal science education organizations view this issue as more central to their programming; that their staff needs effective strategies to both lead climate change activities and evaluate audience impacts; and that these organizations would benefit from regional networks to share resources, new ideas, and approaches on climate change education. We are also examining similarities and differences in climate change attitudes for education staff at these organizations to better understand how to support effective climate change education in free-choice-learning settings.