Despite the scale of the predicted impact of climate change on future generations, most of the academic literature investigating perceptions of climate change relates to adults or young adults rather than children and adolescents. In this review, we synthesize literature relating to 8‐ to 19‐year‐old's perceptions and understandings of climate change, in order to identify trends and inconsistencies, potential gaps in knowledge, and directions for future research. A comprehensive search strategy identified 51 international studies, using quantitative (n = 36), qualitative (n = 9), and mixed methods (n = 6). The included studies date from 1993 to 2018. The analysis outlines levels of reported belief and concern about climate change and perceptions of its causes and consequences. It also details reported perceptions of viable solutions to climate change and notions of responsibility for implementing these. Scientifically accurate knowledge generally increased with age, although misconceptions persisted across the age range. In some studies, younger children expressed greater concern and were more willing to take action than older adolescents. Levels of belief, concern, and willingness to take action were lower in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia than in other countries. In conclusion, we discuss potential explanations for these age and place‐related differences, examining the age‐related findings in the context of concepts and theories in developmental psychology. We outline the limitations of our review and the reviewed studies, and note potential avenues for future research and implications for educational policy and practice.

中文翻译：

---

青年对气候变化的看法：叙事综合

尽管预计气候变化对子孙后代的影响范围很大，但大多数研究气候变化看法的学术文献都涉及成年人或年轻人，而不是儿童和青少年。在这篇综述中，我们综合了与8至19岁儿童对气候变化的看法和理解有关的文献，以便确定趋势和矛盾，知识上的潜在差距以及未来研究的方向。全面的检索策略使用定量（n = 36），定性（n = 9）和混合方法（n= 6）。纳入的研究日期为1993年至2018年。分析概述了人们对气候变化的信念和关注程度以及对气候变化原因和后果的认识。它还详细介绍了对解决气候变化的可行解决方案的报告看法以及实施这些方案的责任概念。尽管在整个年龄段中仍然存在误解，但科学上准确的知识通常会随着年龄的增长而增加。在一些研究中，年幼的孩子比年长的青少年表达了更多的关注，并且更愿意采取行动。与其他国家/地区相比，美国，英国和澳大利亚的信念，关注和采取行动的意愿较低。总之，我们讨论了这些与年龄和地点相关的差异的潜在解释，在发展心理学的概念和理论的背景下检查与年龄有关的发现。我们概述了我们的审查和审查的研究的局限性，并指出了未来研究的潜在途径以及对教育政策和实践的启示。