Primary Pre-service Teacher Education for Teaching Climate Change Competencies

PDF (ελληνικά)
Published: Apr 18, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/codiste.9877
Keywords:
pre-service teacher education climate change education climate change competencies
Chara Bitsaki
University of Crete
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8952-9207
Lucy Avraamidou
University of Groningen
Dimitris Stavrou
University of Crete
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2813-0152
Abstract

The climate crisis demands educational approaches that empower students to act and make informed decisions. However, pre-service teachers often face challenges in addressing the complexity of climate change and implementing essential teaching practices. This study investigates how primary education pre-service teachers develop competencies for teaching climate literacy. Activities focusing on scientific content, competencies development, and designing and implementing teaching material help participants overcome difficulties by incorporating multiple aspects of climate change complexity. The findings highlight the need for ongoing professional development and initial teacher education that supports both future and in-service teachers in addressing complex societal problems in their teaching.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Προφορικές Ανακοινώσεις
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Bascopé, M., Becerra, R., Salazar, D., Arenas, A., Morales, R., Merino, C., Cisternas, M., & Ampuero, P. (2025). Teacher continuous professional development in climate change education: Analyzing teachers’ perspectives. The Journal of Environmental Education, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2025.2471971
de Sousa, L. O., Hay, E. A., & Liebenberg, D. (2019). Teachers’ understanding of the interconnectedness of soil and climate change when developing a systems thinking concept map for teaching and learning. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 28(4), 324–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2019.1657684
Drewes, A., Henderson, J., & Mouza, C. (2018). Professional development design considerations in climate change education: teacher enactment and student learning. International Journal of Science Education, 40(1), 67–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2017.1397798
Eilam, E. (2022). Climate change education: the problem with walking away from disciplines. Studies in Science Education, 58(2), 231–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2021.2011589
Hume, A., & Berry, A. (2010). Constructing CoRes—a Strategy for Building PCK in Pre-service Science Teacher Education. Research in Science Education, 41(3), 341–355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-010-9168-3
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)(2023). Summary for Policymakers. Στο Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Working Group II Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 3-34. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844.001
IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (IPCC). (2015). https://doi.org/10.1109/procomm33430.2015
Kirchner, M., Mitter, H., Schneider, U. A., Sommer, M., Falkner, K., & Schmid, E. (2021). Uncertainty concepts for integrated modeling - Review and application for identifying uncertainties and uncertainty propagation pathways. Environmental Modelling & Software, 135, 104905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104905
Lehtonen, A., Salonen, A. O., & Cantell, H. (2018). Climate Change Education: A New Approach for a World of Wicked Problems. Sustainability, Human Well-Being, and the Future of Education, 339–374. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78580-6_11
Levrini, O., Tasquier, G., Branchetti, L., & Barelli, E. (2019). Developing future-scaffolding skills through science education. International Journal of Science Education, 41(18), 2647–2674. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2019.1693080
Majid, N., Marston, S., Reed Johnson, J. A., & Happle, A. (2023). Reconceptualising Preservice Teachers’ Subject Knowledge in Climate Change and Sustainability Education: A Framework for Initial Teacher Education from England, UK. Sustainability, 15(16), 12237. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612237
Mayring, P. (2014). Qualitative Content Analysis: Theoretical Background and Procedures. Approaches to Qualitative Research in Mathematics Education, 365–380. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9181-6_13
Miani, L., Bitsaki, C., Metaxas, I., Stavrou, D., & Levrini, O. (2025). Embracing complexity and uncertainties to deal with climate change challenges: An interdisciplinary module for preservice teacher education. Science & Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-025-00658-9
Peters, B. G., & Tarpey, M. (2019). Are wicked problems really so wicked? Perceptions of policy problems. Policy and Society, 38(2), 218-236. https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2019.1626595
Provenzale, A. (2014). Climate as a complex dynamical system. Στο A. Celletti, U. Locatelli, T. Ruggeri, & E. Strickland (Επιμ.), Mathematical models and methods for Planet Earth, 135–142. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02657-2_11
Schubatzky, T., Haagen‐Schützenhöfer, C., Wackermann, R., Wöhlke, C., & Wildbichler, S. (2024). Navigating the complexities of student understanding: Exploring the coherency of students’ conceptions about the greenhouse effect. Science Education, 108(4), 1134–1161. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21867
Shea, N. A., Mouza, C., & Drewes, A. (2016). Climate Change Professional Development: Design, Implementation, and Initial Outcomes on Teacher Learning, Practice, and Student Beliefs. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 27(3), 235–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-016-9456-5
Shepherd, T. G. (2019). Storyline approach to the construction of regional climate change information. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 475(2225). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2019.0013
Stavrou, D., & Duit, R. (2014). Teaching and Learning the Interplay Between Chance and Determinism in Nonlinear Systems. International Journal of Science Education, 36(3), 506–530. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2013.802056
Tasquier, G., Levrini, O., & Dillon, J. (2016). Exploring students’ epistemological knowledge of models and modelling in science: results from a teaching/learning experience on climate change. International Journal of Science Education, 38(4), 539–563. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2016.1148828
Taube, D. (2023). Complexity as a challenge in teaching sustainable development issues: an exploration of teachers’ beliefs. Environmental Education Research, 30(3), 361–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2255393
Taurinen, J., Vesterinen, V. M., Veijonaho, S., Siponen, J., Riuttanen, L., & Ruuskanen, T. (2024). Climate change competencies from perspective of Finnish youth. Journal of Youth Studies, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2024.2343724
US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) (2024). Climate Literacy: Essential Principles for Understanding and Addressing Climate Change. U.S. Global Change Research Program. https://doi.org/10.7930/clg2024
Waldron, F., Ruane, B., Oberman, R., & Morris, S. (2016). Geographical process or global injustice? Contrasting educational perspectives on climate change. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 895–911. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2016.1255876
Wiek, A., Withycombe, L., & Redman, C. L. (2011). Key competencies in sustainability: a reference framework for academic program development. Sustainability Science, 6(2), 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0132-6