Journal of Environmental Science International (한국환경과학회지)

The Korean Environmental Sciences Society (한국환경과학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Can an Education Program alter Students' Perceptions of the Causes of and Solutions to Climate Change? - A Case in South Korea

  • Jang, Yong-chang (Department of Public Administration Studies, Kyung-nam University)
  • Received : 2022.09.22
  • Accepted : 2022.10.13
  • Published : 2022.10.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This study investigated whether an educational program could alter students' perceptions of the causes of and solutions to climate change. On October 23, 2020, a 3-hour climate change educational program was provided to 400 high school students in Suncheon City, (Jeonnam Province, South Korea). According to the program, climate change represents a social dilemma, or tragedy of the commons; it also asserts that collective action aimed at strengthening government policy is the optimal solution to climate change, and concludes that motivated citizens should convey their opinions directly to the government through political action. After the program, the students made and shared placards calling for policy-based responses to climate change. Questionnaires completed by the students before and after the program revealed that their perceptions of the causes of and solutions to climate change changed significantly. This case study indicates that education programs have the potential to alter students' perspectives and promote actions aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

No funding was provided for this study, with the exception of the fee for the lecture itself, which was provided by the Sunchen Center for Autonomous and Cooperative Grassroot Education. The author is grateful to all the students and teachers who participated in the lecture.

References

  1. Adams, R. D., McCormick, K., 1993, The traditional distinction between public and private goods needs to be expanded, not abandoned, J. Theor. Polit., 5, 109-116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0951692893005001005
  2. Ahmed, A., 2008, Can education affect pro-social behavior? Cops, economists and humanists in social dilemmas, Int. J. Soc. Econ., 35, 298-307. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068290810854565
  3. Anderson, A., 2012, Climate change education for mitigation and adaptation, J. Educ. Sustain. Dev., 6, 191-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973408212475199
  4. Bazzul, J., Tolbert, S., 2017, Reassembling the natural and social commons, in: Alexander J. M., Derek R. F., Graham B. S. (eds.), Educational Commons in Theory and Practice: Global Pedagogy and Politics, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, USA, 55-73.
  5. Beckenkamp, M., 2011, The social dilemma of climate change: socio-economic implications, in: Leal Filho, W. (ed.), The Economic, Social and Political Elements of Climate Change, Springer, Berlin, Germany, 143-152.
  6. Bisaro, A., Hinkel, J., 2016, Governance of social dilemmas in climate change adaptation, Nat. Clim. Chang., 6, 354-359. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2936
  7. Brick, K., Visser, M., Van der Hoven, Z., 2016, Cooperation and climate change: can communication facilitate the provision of public goods in heterogeneous settings? Environ. Resour. Econ., 64, 421-443. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-015-9879-z
  8. Byrne, J., Martinez, C., Ruggero, C., 2009, Relocating energy in the social commons: ideas for a sustainable energy utility, Bull. Sci. Technol. Soc., 29, 81-94. https://doi.org/10.1177/0270467609332315
  9. Cavanagh, M., 2011, Students' experiences of active engagement through cooperative learning activities in lectures, Act. Learn. High. Educ., 12, 23-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787410387724
  10. Dawes, R. M., 1980, Social dilemmas, Annu. Rev. Psychol., 31, 169-193. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.31.020180.001125
  11. Diamond, J., 2010, Two views of collapse, Nat., 463, 880-881. https://doi.org/10.1038/463880a
  12. Goodin, R., 2015, The collective action problem, in: Danis, M., Hurst, S. A., Fleck, L., Forde, R., Slowther, A. (eds.), Fair Resource Allocation and Rationing at the Bedside, Oxford University Press, New York, USA, 224-237.
  13. Hansen, W. L., Mitchell, N. J., Drope, J. M., 2005, The logic of private and collective action, Am. J. Polit. Sci., 49, 150-167. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0092-5853.2005.00116.x
  14. Hardin, G., 1968, The tragedy of the commons: the population problem has no technical solution; it requires a fundamental extension in morality, Science, 162, 1243-1248. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.162.3859.1243
  15. Hess, C., 2008, Mapping the new commons., Proceedings of the 12th biennial conference of the international association for the study of the commons, Cheltenham, UK, 1-74.
  16. Kim, C. K., Choi, D. H., 2010, Thoughts on climate change education in Korea, J. Kor. Soc. Environ. Edu., 23, 1-12.
  17. Lees-Marshment, J., Huff, A. D., Bendle, N., 2020, A Social commons ethos in public policy-making, J. Bus. Ethics, 166, 761-778. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04577-3
  18. Li, Y., Sewell, D. K., Saber, S., Shank, D. B., Kashima, Y., 2021, The climate commons dilemma: how can humanity solve the commons dilemma for the global climate commons, Clim. Change, 164, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-02987-4
  19. McGinnis, M. D., Walker, J. M., 2010, Foundations of the Ostrom workshop: institutional analysis, polycentricity, and self-governance of the commons, Public Choice, 143, 293-301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-010-9626-5
  20. McNutt, P., 1999, Public goods and club goods, Enc. Law Econ., 1, 927-951.
  21. Miller, J. H., 1996, The coevolution of automata in the repeated prisoner's dilemma, J. Econ. Behav. Organ., 29, 87-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-2681(95)00052-6
  22. Monroe, M. C., Andrews, E., Biedenweg, K., 2007, A Framework for environmental education strategies, Appl. Environ. Educ. Commun., 6, 205-216.
  23. National Research Council, 2011, Climate change education: goals, audiences, and strategies, The National Academies Press, Washington DC, USA.
  24. Olson, M., 1965, The logic of collective action: public goods and the theory of groups, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, USA.
  25. Ostrom, E., 1990, Governing the commons: the evolution of institutions for collective action, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, USA.
  26. Ostrom, E., 2010a, A Multi-scale approach to coping with climate change and other collective action problems, Solutions, 1, 27-36.
  27. Ostrom, E., 2010b, Beyond markets and states: polycentric governance of complex economic systems, Transnatl. Corp. Rev., 2, 1-12.
  28. Ostrom, E., Walker, J., Gardner, R., 1992, Covenants with and without a sword: self-governance is possible, Am. Polit. Sci. Rev., 86, 404-417. https://doi.org/10.2307/1964229
  29. Paavola, J., 2011, Climate change: the ultimate tragedy of the commons, Sustainability Research Institute Paper No. 24, Sustainability Research Institute, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
  30. Pierrehumbert, R. T., 2005, Climate change: a catastrophe in slow motion, Chic. J. Int. Law, 6, 573-596.
  31. Rashidi-Sabet, S., Madhavaram, S., Parvatiyar, A., 2022, Strategic solutions for the climate change social dilemma: an integrative taxonomy, a systematic review, and research agenda, J. Bus. Res., 146, 619-635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.088
  32. Rapoport, A., Chammah, A. M., Orwant, C. J., 1965, Prisoner's dilemma: a study in conflict and cooperation, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, USA.
  33. Seijts, G. H., Latham, G. P., 2000, The effects of goal setting and group size on performance in a social dilemma, Can. J. Behav. Sci., 32, 104. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0087105
  34. Sigmund, K., De Silva, H., Traulsen, A., Hauert, C., 2010, Social learning promotes institutions for governing the commons, Nature, 466, 861-863. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09203
  35. Smart, K. L., Csapo, N., 2007, Learning by doing: engaging students through learner-centered activities, Bus. Commun. Q., 70, 451-457. https://doi.org/10.1177/10805699070700040302
  36. Soroos, M. S., 1994, Global change, environmental security, and the prisoner's dilemma, J. Peace Res., 31, 317-332. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343394031003006
  37. Stevenson, R. B., Nicholls, J., Whitehouse, H., 2017, What is climate change education, Curric. Perspect., 37, 67-71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-017-0015-9
  38. Tavani, H. T., 2005, Locke, intellectual property rights, and the information commons, Ethics Inform. Technol., 7, 87-97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-005-4584-1
  39. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change), 2016, Climate action for empowerment: guidelines for accelerating solutions through education, training and public awareness, Paris, France.
  40. United Nations, 1992, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
  41. United Nations, 2015, Paris Agreement, 21st conference of the parties, Paris, France.
  42. United Nations, 2022, United Nations webpage for climate action, https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/climate-solutions/education-key-addressing-climate-change.
  43. Wood, P. J., 2011, Climate change and game theory, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 1219, 153-170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05891.x
  44. Woodruff, P., 2005, Socratic education. in: Rorty, A. (ed.), Philosophers on Education: New Historical Perspectives, Routledge, London, UK, 25-41.