NEWS Students learn a great deal about the climate, but that knowledge does not always lead to action. In a new project, Johanna Lönngren will investigate how climate education can be designed to drive greater change.
Johanna Lönngren, Associate Professor at the Department of Science and Mathematics Education.
ImageHans Karlsson“The problem is that teaching focuses on developing knowledge, rather than on how it can be used to bring about actual change,” says Johanna Lönngren, Associate Professor at the Department of Science and Mathematics Education, NMD.
For the climate transition to accelerate, society needs not only new technologies, but also people with knowledge, commitment and confidence that they can make a difference. The way education is designed plays an important role in this.
Johanna Lönngren has been awarded SEK 4 million from Formas, a government research council for sustainable development, to compile and analyse research on climate education. She will investigate what makes some educational initiatives lead to action while others do not.
Unlike a traditional literature review, which often focuses on the question of what works, the project will also examine why something works and in what contexts. The project takes a broad view of climate education, from primary and secondary education to higher education. It may, for example, explore what motivates pupils and students to change their behaviour, engage in organisations, or choose a career path that allow them to influence societal development.
“We are not seeing the change we need. There is a great deal of knowledge and technology available, but progress towards climate neutrality is far too slow,” says Johanna Lönngren.
The project also involves Eva Knekta at NMD and Loïs Vanhée at the Department of Computing Science. They are collaborating with Sara Dada at University College Dublin.
At the end of the project, the researchers will develop models that make it easier to understand how different mechanisms influence learning. The models will be used together with teachers to help them develop climate education in ways that are effective within their own teaching contexts.
