Gender differences in adolescent's climate change knowledge and perceptions. meta-analysis

Abstract

Are there differences between adolescent men and women in terms of knowledge about climate change? How do adolescents perceive the climate crisis depending on their gender? In order to answer these questions, we carried out a meta-analysis on a sample of 84 international papers selected by conducting a systematic review methodology. To achieve that aim, we identified studies that showed differences according to the gender variable in terms of knowledge, perceptions, and/or opinions among adolescents pursuing secondary education. A total of 26 out of 84 papers (30.95%)-concentrated between 1993 and 2017-addressed gender differences regarding climate change. The meta-analysis revealed that women score lower than men on knowledge about climate change, with the difference increasing as they move forward in their respective secondary education courses. However, women are found to attribute greater risk to the climate crisis, they are more concerned about the problem, and-unlike men, who have a more technical worldview-they show greater ecocentric willingness to accept measures to address it.