Opinions About Climate Change Among Non-science Majors and Influence of Passive vs. Active Learning Strategies

Geoff HorstDepartment of Fisheries and Wildife

2009 FAST Symposium

Climate Change is an important but controversial issue

PEW Survey Finds Less than ½ of Adults Accept Concept of Human-Induced Climate Change

77% 47%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Is there global warming?

and if so, because of

humans?

PEW Survey of Adults

No/Don't know

Yes

1) From what you have read and heard, is there solid evidence that the average temperature of the earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades? (Yes/No/I Don’t Know) – Directly from PEW survey

2) If yes, then:a) Mostly due to human activities such as burning fossil fuelsb) Mostly because of natural patterns in the earth’s environmentc) Don’t know

Climate Change Refresher

Objectives For This Research

In order to understand how to teach climate change more effectively, I need to know what opinions students have about climate change coming into the course and what factors may be influencing their opinions.

Objectives: a) determine what influences student’s incoming opinions about climate change b) evaluate the effectiveness of passive vs. active learning strategies in shaping post-course opinions about climate change.

Teaching Goal:

Methods - Surveys

- An initial 15 question survey asked for student opinions on climate change and what sources of information had the most influence

- A follow-up survey at the end of the semester asked the same questions, but also included questions on science educational background, opinions about science and scientists, and a brief assessment of scientific literacy.

- Surveys were given to two environmental science courses for non-majors:a) FW 203 Resource Ecology (class I taught Spring semester)b) ISP 217 Water and the Environment

Methods - Surveys

Example survey questions:- From what you have read and heard, is there solid evidence that the average temperature of the earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades? (Yes/No/I Don’t Know) If yes, then:

a) Mostly due to human activities such as burning fossil fuelsb) Mostly because of natural patterns in the earth’s environmentc) Don’t know

- Rate on a scale from 1-5, how much influence each of the following sources had on your opinion about climate change before taking this course (1 = very influential, 5 = non influential)

a) What I’ve learned from previous classesb) Opinions of friends and family…..f) What I’ve seen from watching the news

Course Student Summary

Course

FW 203 Resource Ecology

ISP 217 Water & the Environment

# Students 26 150 Science Majors 31% 0% Ave. # HS Science Courses 4.3 3.6 Ave. # College Science Courses 5.1 1.4 Find Science Interesting 100% 73% Think that scientists are working on behalf of public 89% 85% Ave. nature of science/scientific literacy score 83% 77% # of initial survey responses 23 110 # of successul follow-up survey responses 19 44

Initial Survey Results

77% 47%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Is there global warming?

and if so, because of

humans?

PEW Survey of Adults

No/Don't know

Yes

78% 63%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Is there global warming?

and if so, because of humans?

ISP 217 Incoming Opinion

96% 74%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Is there global warming?

and if so, because of humans?

FW 203 Incoming Opinion

Students taking these courses already have a higher acceptance rate of human-induced global warming coming into the course than adults in the PEW survey.

Initial Survey Results

1 2 3 4 5

Read in science/newspaper articles

Learned from previous classes

Discussing the issue with other people

Watching news on TV

Opinions of friends and family

Read on opinion page in newspapers

Read on blogs, non-news websites

Very influential Not influential

FW 203

ISP 217

Specific associations between climate change opinions and a number of co-factors including, measures of scientific literacy, science background and opinions about scientists, are still being analyzed.

Follow-up Survey Results

The follow-up survey indicated that acceptance rates of human-induced global warming increased to nearly 90% in the FW203 course and 71% in the ISP course.

95% 89%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Is there global warming?

and if so, because of humans?

FW 203 Follow-up Opinion

83% 71%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Is there global warming?

and if so, because of humans?

ISP 217 Follow-up Opinion

Follow-up Survey Results

1 2 3 4 5

Learned from this course

Read from science/newspaper articles

Textbook/readings from this course

Learned from previous courses

Discussions with others

Opinions of friends and family

Watching news on TV

Read on opinion pages

Read on blogs/non-news websites

Very influential Not influential

FW 203

ISP 217

Follow-up Survey Results – Active vs. Passive Learning

Examples of Active Learning -Group presentations on climate change solutions

Next Steps and Implications

Analyze specific associations between climate change opinions and co-factors including: measures of scientific literacy, science background and opinions about scientists - A preliminary analysis indicates that students appear less likely to accept climate change if they don’t believe there is a consensus among scientists.

Emphasize hard-data in lectures and perhaps tie this into active learning activities such as analyzing a CO2 or temperature data set from multiple observatories.

Acknowledgements

Kendra Cheruvelil (Mentor)

FAST Steering Committee

Fellow FAST students

QUESTIONS?