Susan Buhr Director, CIRES Education and Outreach of Colorado, Boulder

[email protected] 1 Teacher • Knowledge • Strategies Preparation • Practices

• Controversy Influences • Standards • Resources

Professional •In Community •Sustained development •Relevant

[email protected] 2 Year Project Secondary Degree of respondents engagement (N)

2009 ICEE Needs 284 61% Assessment

2010 CLEAN 300 56-93% Invitational Survey 2011 CLEAN 145 (97% 80% middle Informant response rate) Network 88% high school

[email protected] 3 What do you hear from teachers about their preparation? Their perceptions about climate science?

[email protected] 4 Preparation: learning experiences (%) 80 Self-directed 70 60 Short/Variable 50 Sustained 40 30 20 10 0

ICEE, 2009 [email protected] 5 100 Relevant Not relevant 90

80

70

60

50

40

30 Percentageresponding Percentageresponding 20

10

0

Field of highest degree and perceived relevance [email protected] 6 • More comfort with Earth Systems • Less comfort • Climate concepts (greenhouse effect) • Emerging topics (what will happen here?) • Evidence-how scientists know “I was confused by the Izzit ‘Unstoppable Solar Cycles’” ICEE 2010, CLEAN 2011

[email protected] 7 Wise, 2010 [email protected] 8 60

50

40

Disagree Strongly 30 Disagree Agree 20 Agree Strongly Percentagerespondents Percentagerespondents 10 CLEAN, 2011

0 Middle High school Lower division division [email protected] 9 100

90

80

70

60 Drop one 50 (%) (%) Stay same 40 Gain one 30 Gain two 20 ICEE 10 workshop evaluation 0 2010 GW Concern GW Cause is Scientists happening people agree [email protected] 10 60 50 50

40

30 (%) (%) 25 25

20

10

0 Both valid Unclear Consensus view

Wise, 2010 [email protected] 11 2009-2011 • “…global climate change is both premature and over-hyped, too much media, too little long term science investigation other than recent trends…” • “I was taught…in late 1960 that we were in fact entering into another “ice age” and today… I am to teach the other end of that continuum?” • “Right now I am very concerned over the global warming emails and the implication that data has been changed…How can I teach about global change if scientists are not being honest about their results?”

[email protected] 12 2009-2011 • “Teaching both perspectives of the issue within time constraints.” • “More support materials-from both sides of the argument are needed-in order to give this topic the time and depth needed to really inform and educate students.”

• Denialist? Needs PD? Unclear…..

[email protected] 13 2009-2011 • “I am much more confident in my knowledge and the ability to answer student questions, as well as be able to direct students to valid data sites for them to learn to read and interpret the scientific data for their own evidence.” • “I am learning to rely on the science (evidence) and let the facts speak for themselves.” This makes it easier to present to students…and to other teachers.” • “I want to objectively present the scientific data that presents climate change is real and an issue of immediate concern.”

[email protected] 14 What do you hear from teachers about their barriers and concerns?

[email protected] 15 • Vocal school board members • Lack of alignment have approached administration, with standards claiming that it is not occurring • Lack of content • Students have been told that knowledge “global warming” is not real and that • Parent, student hurdle is hard to cross sometimes. beliefs • It conflicts with my students’ religion/faith.

Wise, 2010 • We have some parents that do ICEE, 2009 not believe in climate CLEAN, 2011 change/warming

ICEE, 2009

[email protected] 16 Before instruction: • Align with standards and curriculum • Frame for learners’ perspective • Find high quality resources- evidence/inquiry • (Maybe) talk with administrators

[email protected] 17 • During instruction: • Employ inquiry, evidence-based pedagogy • Controversy as a teachable moment • Integrate climate throughout • Outside speakers • Integrate solutions

[email protected] 18 Cheryl Manning, Colorado High School Teacher 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Percentageteachingclimatetopics Percentageteachingclimatetopics

CLEAN 2011

[email protected] 20 Wise, 2010

[email protected] 21 120

100 1 7 5 7 12 80 9 Over 90% 7 18 76-90% 60 51-75%

51 33 26-50% 40 11-25% Percent teachersPercent Percent teachersPercent 20 Less than 10% 30 20 0 CLEAN 2011 High school

[email protected] 22 100 MS Student interest 90 MS use 80 HS student interest 70 60 HS use 50 40 30 20 Percentagerespondents Percentagerespondents 10 0

CLEAN

[email protected] 2011 23 60 “By connecting this within the physical science 50 curriculum I have been able to bring it in without really 40 labeling it “climate science” which has helped me to 30 keep some of theMiddle pre- School conceived notionsHigh out School of the 20 equation.”

10

0 Mostly/only Equal Mostly/only science science/social social

[email protected] 24 Not at all To small extent To some extent To a large extent 60 CLEAN 2011 50

40

30

20 PercentageRespondents PercentageRespondents 10

0 Middle School High School Lower Division Upper Division [email protected] 25 [email protected] http://cleanet.org/ 26 80 Honors/AP Low reading level 70 Remedial math/quant 60 English language learners

50

40

30 Percentagerespondents Percentagerespondents 20

10

0 Middle school High school Lower division Upper division [email protected] 27 Wise, 2010 JGE

[email protected] 28 100 experience enhanced teaching experience hindered teaching 80

60

40

20

% of Earth science %teachers Earthof science 0 encouraging discouraging community experiences around teaching GW

[email protected] Wise, 2010 29 • Most perceive institutional support • Most perceived as resource by colleagues • Climate scientist connections • National science/ education communities • Local/regional communities Iceeonline.org/forum and

[email protected] listserve 30 45 Middle school High School 40 35 30 25

(%) 20 15 10 5 0 Day or less Week or One-two Three-four less weeks weeks Amount PD taken CLEAN 2011

[email protected] 31 • Online course ICEE Spring 2012 • 3 credit grad ENVS or Continuing Ed or nominal admin fee • Teaching strategies, Essential Principles Climate Lit, capstone local teaching activity • Email [email protected] • CLEAN webinars http://www.cleanet.org/clean/community/webinars/in dex.html • CLEAN online faculty workshops • April 2-14, 2012 - Communicating Climate Science in the Classroom • May 7-16, 2012 - Teaching Climate Complexity

[email protected] 32 Opportunities: Challenges: • Reach to all society • Persistent controversy • High interest • Lack of alignmnent • Encouragement is with standards effective • New topic for most • Potential standards alignment

[email protected] 33 [email protected] 34 Question: If you have tried or considered teaching climate change in your classroom, what kinds of challenges have you come up against?

Content (Personal knowledge, Curriculum Integration) Lack of Resources

Controversy of Topic

Influence of Parents

Lack of Teaching Time

Fatalistic feeling by students

0 5 10 15 20

Learnmoreaboutclimate survey among Colorado teachers 2011, N=53 100

90 AGI, Geosci Workforce 80 Report, 2011 See also NAGT Position 70 Paper

60

50 Male

40 Female

30

20

10

0 Biology (1 yr) Chemistry (1 yr) Physics (1 yr) Geol/E.S. (0.5 yr) [email protected] 36