Storytelling and climate education: Empowering preservice teachers as readers and leaders through literacy education

Abstract

In this paper, we delve into the impact of storytelling in a literacy methods course, exploring how it shaped preservice teachers' (PSTs) perceptions, hopes and actions regarding environmental justice. As PSTs collectively engaged with narratives in children's literature, we investigated how stories of environmentalism equipped them with the knowledge and skills essential for addressing the challenges of climate change that their students will inherit. Grounded in relational literacies, this paper examines PSTs' comprehension of diverse children's literature focused on environmentalism in relation to their sense-making, personal climate stories and their conceptualisations and enactments of environmental justice. This study underscores the pivotal role of stories in shaping future educators' environmental literacy and in fostering a sense of agency and responsibility. The findings contribute to the discourse on integrating diverse narratives into teacher education, emphasising the potential of literature to inspire meaningful engagement with both literacy learning and environmental justice issues.