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Adult Climate Change Education Advances Learning, Self-Efficacy, and Agency for Community-Scale Stewardship

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah-Mae Nelson

    (UC California Naturalist Program, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Division, Davis, CA 95618, USA)

  • Greg Ira

    (UC California Naturalist Program, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Division, Davis, CA 95618, USA)

  • Adina M. Merenlender

    (Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA)

Abstract

Education per se does not necessarily foster positive environmental behaviors; rather, a complex assemblage of influences including social integration, discovering shared values, strengthening environmental identity, self-efficacy, and agency is needed to foster environmental stewardship. We examine the participant outcomes from a new adult climate education and service course, which is delivered by local organizations. The UC Climate Stewards certification course includes relationship building, social-emotional learning, climate science, climate communication, monitoring resilience, and how to take community-scale action. Based on results from ~154 participants, we observed significant improvement in self-efficacy, with confidence to help protect communities increasing from x ¯ = 3.59 (3 is neutral) to x ¯ 4.32 (4 is agree) ( p < 0.00). The importance of doing something or taking action about climate change appears to be a value that was strongly held prior to taking the course and aligns with motivations for becoming a certified Climate Steward; hence, it only slightly increased from ( x ¯ = 4.25) to ( x ¯ = 4.57) ( p < 0.00). Climate Stewards’ feeling of competency in talking about the subject increased (from x ¯ 3.05 before to x ¯ = 4.24 after, p < 0.00, N = 111). Finally, we examine the community-scale stewardship taken by the Climate Steward volunteers, from information provided through self-reporting, and explore additional approaches to researching pathways from education to agency.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah-Mae Nelson & Greg Ira & Adina M. Merenlender, 2022. "Adult Climate Change Education Advances Learning, Self-Efficacy, and Agency for Community-Scale Stewardship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-18, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:3:p:1804-:d:742444
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sharma, Sadikshya & Kreye, Melissa M., 2022. "Social value of bird conservation on private forest lands in Pennsylvania, USA," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    2. Maddison Smith & Wiebke Finkler & Robert Aitken, 2023. "Connecting People with Science: A Proof-of-Concept Study to Evaluate Action-Based Storytelling for Science Communication," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.
    3. Daniela Acquadro Maran & Matti Ullah Butt & Tatiana Begotti, 2023. "Pro-Environment Behaviors, Efficacy Beliefs, Perceived Individual and Social Norms: A Questionnaire Survey in a Sample of Young Adults From Pakistan," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.

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