Investigating the Climate Change Beliefs, Knowledge, Behaviors, and Cultural Worldviews of Rural Middle School Students and Their Families during an Out-of-School Intervention: A Mixed-Methods Study

Literaturnachweis - Detailanzeige

Trefferliste

Autor/in	Gutierrez, Kristie Susan
Titel	Investigating the Climate Change Beliefs, Knowledge, Behaviors, and Cultural Worldviews of Rural Middle School Students and Their Families during an Out-of-School Intervention: A Mixed-Methods Study
Quelle	(2016), (267 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit Ph.D. Dissertation, North Carolina State University
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	978-1-3696-1978-2
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Climate; Middle School Students; Intervention; Mixed Methods Research; Grade 5; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Pretests Posttests; Rural Schools; Clubs; Student Attitudes; School Districts; Student Surveys; Beliefs; After School Programs; Family (Sociological Unit); STEM Education; Poverty + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; Klima; Middle school; Middle schools; Student; Students; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Schüler; Schülerin; School year 05; 5. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 05; School year 06; 6. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 06; School year 07; 7. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 07; School year 08; 8. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 08; Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; Club; Klub; Schülerverhalten; School district; Schulbezirk; Schülerbefragung; Belief; Glaube; After school education; After-school programs; Program; Programs; Programme; Außerschulische Jugendbildung; Programm; Familie; STEM; Armut
Abstract	In a recent nationwide survey, 63% of American adults believe that there is global warming, yet 52% received a "grade" of "F" on climate change knowledge and beliefs. Climate change is a politically-charged topic in the 21st century. Even for those who support the 97% of scientists who assert that climate change is occurring, many are still uncertain about the role that humans play in this complex process. This mixed-methods study examined the climate change beliefs, content knowledge, worldviews, and behaviors of rural middle school students and their families in four rural, high poverty school districts in the Southeastern United States (US). The students, who ranged from 5-8th grades, were part of an after school STEM Career Club program that met for two hours, six times per semester. STEM Club students (N = 243) and selected students' families (n = 15) interacted with climate change activities and materials in the student clubs and in an at-home intervention. Quantitative pre- and post-intervention surveys were used to measure any changes in climate change content knowledge and beliefs as well as participants' worldviews. Qualitative audio data gathered from at-home intervention activities with students and their family members, as well as during family dyad interviews, was coded using the Determinants of Behavior framework that reflected climate change awareness, during and post-intervention. This embedded mixed-methods design with climate change education was designed to reflect place-based examples in these rural, southeastern US communities, and to empower families to see the relevance of this global issue, consider their role, learn more about climate science, and take actions locally. Initially, a large percentage of students believed that global warming is occurring (69.5%) and is occurring at least in some part due to human influence (69.3%). Students had learned significantly more total climate change knowledge, post-intervention. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) found a significant main effect for gender; males improved significantly more than females on the content knowledge test. Significant gains in content knowledge could be traced to engagement in specific club activities. The vast majority (73.3%) of students held egalitarian worldviews, while students were almost equivalent on the individualism (48.8%)/communitarian (47.7%) worldview scale. Student worldviews correlated to responses on the affective items of the survey, but did not predict students' climate change content knowledge. Findings from this study suggest that significant gains in climate change content knowledge can be attained through short-term out-of-school interventions, but not climate change beliefs. For rural, low income families, knowledge talk was most common (26.6%), followed by discussion of behaviors (11.5%), and talk regarding the seriousness of the problem (10.6%). Seventy-two percent of the participants (n = 18; 9 students, 9 adults) were coded as individualistic egalitarian. Changes in climate change content knowledge from pre- to post-intervention were greatest in the students and parents who were highly engaged in the at-home family intervention, indicating that parents and students can benefit from climate change interventions in their own homes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01