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Finnish Students’ Knowledge of Climate Change Mitigation and Its Connection to Hope

Author

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  • Ilkka Ratinen

    (Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, 96101 Rovaniemi, Finland)

  • Satu Uusiautti

    (Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, 96101 Rovaniemi, Finland)

Abstract

Climate change is a global concern, and the need to address it is urgent. Therefore, climate change education has been developed in recent years. Meaning making, coping strategies, and solution-oriented climate education tasks enable and maintain hope for positive results with regard to climate change. However, there is still uncertainty as to how students’ knowledge of climate change mitigation measures affects their attitudes. In the present study, elementary and secondary students in Finland (n = 950) responded to an online questionnaire. A principal component analysis, a hierarchical regression analysis, a correlation coefficients, a t -test, and a Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance were used for the analysis to understand what kind of hope students had towards climate change and how their knowledge and optimism regarding climate change affected their hope. The data revealed that the students had a relatively high constructive hope rather than denial hope when it comes to climate change. Additionally, this hope was not built on a minimisation of climate change. The results indicated that the significant predictors for climate change mitigation were gender, climate change knowledge, and constructive hope. A typology of student positions with regard to climate change is introduced as conclusions.

Suggested Citation

  • Ilkka Ratinen & Satu Uusiautti, 2020. "Finnish Students’ Knowledge of Climate Change Mitigation and Its Connection to Hope," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:6:p:2181-:d:331389
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniel Shepardson & Dev Niyogi & Soyoung Choi & Umarporn Charusombat, 2011. "Students’ conceptions about the greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 104(3), pages 481-507, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Meiai Chen & Eila Jeronen & Anming Wang, 2020. "What Lies Behind Teaching and Learning Green Chemistry to Promote Sustainability Education? A Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-25, October.
    2. Karel Nepraš & Tereza Strejčková & Roman Kroufek, 2022. "Climate Change Education in Primary and Lower Secondary Education: Systematic Review Results," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-20, November.
    3. Helena Marketta Helve, 2022. "Hermeneutic-Phenomenological Interpretation of Coronavirus Experiences, Their Meanings, and the Prospects of Young Finns in Education and the Labor Market in Lapland," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, August.
    4. Eija Yli-Panula & Eila Jeronen & Sanna Mäki, 2022. "School Culture Promoting Sustainability in Student Teachers’ Views," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-26, June.
    5. Miloslav Kolenatý & Roman Kroufek & Jan Činčera, 2022. "What Triggers Climate Action: The Impact of a Climate Change Education Program on Students’ Climate Literacy and Their Willingness to Act," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.

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