The Impact of Project Activities on the Cultivation of Ecological Citizenship in a High School Climate Change Club

• Published in: Asia-Pacific Science Education 2020-07, Vol.6 (1), p.41-69
• Main Authors: Park, Woo-Yong, Kim, Chan-Jong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Citizen Participation; Citizenship; Citizenship Responsibility; Climate; Climate change; Clubs; Ecology; Educational Environment; Educational Objectives; Environmental education; Foreign Countries; Greenhouse effect; High School Students; High Schools; Knowledge Level; Lifelong Learning; Science and Society; Secondary schools; Social Change; Social Justice; Student Centered Learning; Student Participation; Student Projects; Students; Sustainability; Teaching Methods
• ISSN: 2364-1177; 2364-1177
• DOI: 10.1163/23641177-BJA00005

Abstract This research explored the characteristics of students' activities and their artifacts during their participation in climate change club projects and investigated the impacts of the club project participation on students' ecological citizenship. Climate change club projects were developed to help students understand climate change, investigate climate change issues, and plan and participate in social actions. Participants developed scientific models of causes of climate change and were expected to develop the own perspectives about socio-scientific issues related to climate change. Five types of competences of ecological citizenship were targeted through club activities: knowledge and understanding, responsibility, justice, sustainability, and participation. Researchers found activities were student centered and interactive and artifacts generated by students were resources for social action. Climate change club activities demonstrated the potential for student participation in club projects to promote competence for mitigating climate change among future generations by fostering a new form of citizenship: ecological citizenship.