Including the Ocean in Formal K–12 Climate Education - Assessment of a Lesson for Middle and High School Students

Oct 15, 2026

Formal climate education without consideration of the ocean is incomplete. The study examined a new climate lesson connecting the ocean–climate nexus by delivering it to nine middle and high school classes in separate British Columbia public schools and measuring students’ understanding before and after instruction. Prior to the lesson, basic climate science knowledge was low, then improved significantly, with post-lesson understanding varying by age. Younger and older student groups showed the lowest and highest class averages, respectively.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Climate education goals and background

Students’ baseline knowledge and learning needs

Assessment design and findings

Including the Ocean in Formal K–12 Climate Education: Assessment of a Lesson for Middle and High School Students Jennifer Putland, Maia Hoeberechts, Monika Pelz, Lauren Hudson, Cody Tolmie & Mauricio Carrasquilla-Henao, Learning & Community Engagement, Ocean Networks Canada Abstract Formal climate education without consideration of the ocean is incomplete. The effectiveness of a new climate lesson for youth that includes the ocean–climate nexus was examined by delivering the lesson to nine classes situated in separate British Columbia, Canada public schools and assessing the students’ understanding of basic climate concepts before and after the lesson. Among the youth assessed, before-lesson understanding of basic climate science concepts was low. The lesson led to significant improvements in the understanding of climate science; the after-lesson level of understanding appears to be a function of age. The classes with the lowest (29%) and highest (73–79%) after-lesson class averages were the classes composed of the youngest and oldest students, respectively. The age-related differences are considered with respect to the students’ cognitive developmental stage, and suggestions are made to improve understanding among younger students. Résumé Les cours portantsur leclimat qui sont donnésdans le cadre du programme scolaire sont incomplets s’ils n’intègrent pas les enjeux océaniques. Le présent article examine donc l’efficacité de la nouvelle éducation au climat qui tient compte dela dynamique climat-océan. Le nouveau modèle éducatif a été présenté dans neuf classes de différentes écoles publiques de la Colombie-Britannique (Canada) . Avant et après la leçon sur le climat, la compréhension qu’avaient les élèves des concepts climatiques de base a été mesurée. Avant la leçon, le niveau de compréhension des élèves était faible, mais s’améliorait beaucoup après la leçon, en fonction de l’âge des élèves. Les moyennes les plus faibles (29 %) étaient chez les plus jeunes, les élèves plus vieux ayant obtenu les résultats les plus élevés (73-79 %) . Les écarts dûs à l’âge sont analysés en tenant compte du stade de développement cognitif des enfants et des suggestions sont faites pour améliorer la compréhension des plus jeunes élèves. Keywords: climate change education, assessment, cognitive development stage, authentic data, hands-on activities, storytelling Mots-clés : éducation relative aux changements climatiques, évaluation, stade dedéveloppement cognitif, données authentiques, activités pratiques, apprentissage par le récit Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 24 (1), 2021 189 Introduction A special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change, asserts that global warming of 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures will lead to greater impacts than if global warming is restricted to 1.5°C above preindustrial temperatures (IPCC, 2018) . To restrict warming to a maximum of 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures will require global net anthropogenic CO2 emissions to decline by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero around 2050 (IPCC, 2018) . To achieve these emission reductions will require“rapid and far-reaching transitions in energy, land, urban and infrastructure (including transport and buildings), and industrial systems”(IPCC, 2018, p.15) . The IPCC fifth assessment report also indicates that adequate mitigation, that is, actions intended to reduce anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), poses “substantial technological, economic, social and institutional challenges, which increase with delays in additional mitigation”(IPCC, 2014, p. 20) . Furthermore, the IPCC (2014) states that “delaying additional mitigation increases mitigation costs in the medium to long term” (p. 24) . Moreover, if there are considerable delays in additional mitigation, then constraining warming to 2°C over pre-indu

FAQs

Why is formal climate education considered incomplete without the ocean?

The document argues that excluding ocean-related dynamics leaves a gap in understanding the climate system and its connections.

How was the lesson effectiveness evaluated?

The researchers delivered the lesson to nine classes in British Columbia public schools and assessed students’ basic climate concept understanding before and after instruction.

What influenced the improvement in understanding after the lesson?

The results indicate that post-lesson understanding appears to function as a function of age, with notable differences between the youngest and oldest student groups.

Oct 15, 2026

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