Climate Change Education

Abstract

The study found out the role that some selected science curricula of the pre-tertiary level of education in Ghana played with respect to climate change education. Content analysis was used to analyze four science curricula of the pre-tertiary levels of education in Ghana, namely, the curriculum for primary, Grades 1 to 3 (age = 6-9 years); integrated science curriculum of primary, Grades 4 to 6 (age = 9-12 years); integrated science curriculum of the Junior High School (JHS; age = 12-13 years); and the integrated science curriculum of the Senior High School (SHS; age = 13-16 years). It was found that of the four curricula, it was only in the integrated science syllabuses of the SHS and that of the JHS that climate change as a topic for study had been stated categorically, but, even then, the teaching and learning methods needed to be improved on. It was practically non-existent in the natural science curriculum of Primary Grades 1 to 3. There were topics in some of the curricula such as “Ecosystems,” “Photosynthesis,” and “Energy” that can provide links to climate change education but were not linked to it. Some of the suggestions made to make these curricula play their roles in climate change education are that: (a) topics that lend themselves to climate change education in the various curricula could be linked to it in the teaching and learning situation to reinforce learning and (b) teaching and learning methods should be improved upon for effective attitudinal and behavioral changes to help mitigate climate change and its impact.