ABSTRACT

Climate change is a ‘super-wicked’ problem associated with challenges including food security, mass migration and biodiversity loss. Young people are increasingly expecting their university education to prepare them to address these challenges. This requires universities to go beyond scientific accounts of climate change, and to engage students in the complex interactions between social, economic and environmental systems. Authentic learning develops students’ understanding of ‘real-world’ challenges and is well aligned with pedagogical traditions in geography. We researched the extent to which climate change is framed as a wicked problem and how students undertake authentic learning about it in UK and Ireland undergraduate geography programmes. Our findings show that while authentic approaches to teaching climate change can be well developed at module level, programme design lacks coherence. Teaching focuses on climate problems rather than progressively scaffolding students’ skills for finding effective solutions. We propose that academic developers have significant potential to enhance climate change teaching. We present seven principles for geography programme teams to improve climate change teaching in degree programmes. The wicked problems concept emerged at a time of social unrest and growing environmental consciousness and so remains a powerful way to frame teaching about global challenges.

摘要

气候变化是一个“超级邪恶”的问题，与粮食安全、大规模移民和生物多样性丧失等挑战相关。年轻人越来越希望大学教育能够为他们应对这些挑战做好准备。这要求大学超越对气候变化的科学解释，让学生参与社会、经济和环境系统之间复杂的相互作用。真实学习培养学生对“现实世界”挑战的理解，并与地理学的教学传统很好地保持一致。我们研究了气候变化在多大程度上被认为是一个棘手的问题，以及学生如何在英国和爱尔兰的本科地理课程中进行真实的学习。我们的研究结果表明，虽然可以在模块级别很好地开发教授气候变化的真实方法，但程序设计缺乏连贯性。教学侧重于气候问题，而不是逐步培养学生寻找有效解决方案的技能。我们建议学术开发人员具有增强气候变化教学的巨大潜力。我们为地理课程团队提出了七项原则，以改善学位课程中的气候变化教学。邪恶问题的概念出现在社会动荡和环保意识不断增强的时期，因此仍然是构建关于全球挑战的教学的有力方式。我们建议学术开发人员具有增强气候变化教学的巨大潜力。我们为地理课程团队提出了七项原则，以改善学位课程中的气候变化教学。邪恶问题的概念出现在社会动荡和环保意识不断增强的时期，因此仍然是构建关于全球挑战的教学的有力方式。我们建议学术开发人员具有增强气候变化教学的巨大潜力。我们为地理课程团队提出了七项原则，以改善学位课程中的气候变化教学。邪恶问题的概念出现在社会动荡和环保意识不断增强的时期，因此仍然是构建关于全球挑战的教学的有力方式。