Climate Change in High School: Knowledge, Beliefs and Perceptions

Abstract

Climate change (CC) is taking on a growing role in the education system. However, the social representations of the population reveal a limited and distorted knowledge of the aspects that characterize it. Therefore, social representation of climate change is far from being translated into teaching-learning processes in line with the seriousness of the socio-environmental crisis. This also happens among high school students, as this study shows. The answers obtained in a questionnaire ad hoc (n = 607) about knowledge and appraisals about CC suggest contradictory tendencies about its causes and consequences. Results indicate the need of fostering changes in how to educate future generations about CC relevance for our societies.