Climate strikes: Their value in engaging and educating secondary school students

Abstract

The climate strikes of 2019, an extraordinary worldwide phenomenon, swiftly and succinctly showed the world the collective concern of youth. What insights might curriculum planning for climate-change education and classroom pedagogy gain from these climate strikes? Preliminary findings from this study identified four significant considerations in regard to climate-change education. First, the soaring level of climate anxiety among youth. Secondly, political literacy is as important as climate-change literacy for action. Thirdly, social justice is the key to engaging students in climate-change education. Fourthly, an inquiry-based pedagogy that considers the academic (head), emotional (heart), and practical (hands) is appropriate for climate-change education.