HOW A WISCONSIN TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM PREPARES TEACHER CANDIDATES TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

Climate change is an urgent concern affecting human and natural systems including food security, human health, infrastructure, and economic sectors. Climate change education plays an important role in helping individuals and communities understand climate change and acquire the skills to create resilient, carbon-conscious societies. This research uses a survey to understand how the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point teacher preparation program is preparing teacher candidates to address climate change education. The survey was administered to teacher candidates currently enrolled in a course covering the state environmental education requirement. A Borich Needs Assessment was combined with the Hershkowitz criticality function to determine climate change education skills and competencies deserving special attention in the teacher preparation program. Pedagogical disposition related to climate change education was determined using an instrument established by Hannah and Rhubart (2019). Competencies that required more attention include “building awareness in students of their interconnectedness with the Earth’s systems” and “understanding the effects of climate change locally.” Secondary education majors had significantly smaller training gaps overall when compared to early childhood, elementary, and special education majors. The mean pedagogical disposition score was 2.22 indicating a medium level of alignment of teaching strategies with the consensus-informed approach to climate change. The results may inform teacher educators at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point and other Wisconsin colleges and universities as to how they might more effectively address climate change education in teacher preparation programs. The results also have implications for educational standards related to climate change.