Research is increasingly identifying the issues of ecological distress, eco-anxiety and climate grief. These painful experiences arise from heightened ecological knowledge and concern, which are commonly considered to be de facto aims of environmental education. Yet little research investigates the issues of climate change anxiety in educational spaces, nor how educators seek to respond to or prevent such emotional experiences. This study surveyed environmental educators in eastern Australia about their experiences and strategies for responding to their learners’ ecological distress. Educators reported that their students commonly experienced feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, anxious, angry, sad and frustrated when engaging with ecological crises. Educators’ strategies for responding to their learners’ needs included encouraging students to engage with their emotions, validating those emotions, supporting students to navigate and respond to those emotions and empowering them to take climate action. Educators felt that supporting their students to face and respond to ecological crises was an extremely challenging task, one which was hindered by time limitations, their own emotional distress, professional expectations, society-wide climate denial and a lack of guidance on what works.

中文翻译：

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教育工作者应对生态困境的经验和策略

研究越来越多地确定生态困境、生态焦虑和气候悲痛等问题。这些痛苦的经历源于对生态学知识和关注度的提高，这通常被认为是事实上环境教育的目的。然而，很少有研究调查教育空间中的气候变化焦虑问题，也很少有研究调查教育工作者如何寻求回应或防止这种情绪体验。这项研究调查了澳大利亚东部的环境教育工作者，了解他们应对学习者生态困境的经验和策略。教育工作者报告说，他们的学生在遇到生态危机时通常会感到不知所措、绝望、焦虑、愤怒、悲伤和沮丧。教育工作者回应学习者需求的策略包括鼓励学生参与他们的情绪、验证这些情绪、支持学生驾驭和回应这些情绪，以及授权他们采取气候行动。