Prospective Primary Teachers' Understanding of Climate Change, Greenhouse Effect, and Ozone Layer Depletion

Climate change is one of the most serious global environmental problems and for that reason there has been lately a great interest in educating pupils, the future citizens, about it. Previous research has shown that pupils of all ages and teachers hold many misconceptions and misunderstandings concerning this issue. This paper reports on research concerning student teachers' perceptions about aspects of climate change as well as about greenhouse effect and ozone layer depletion. The aim of this research is to take findings into account for teaching student teachers about these issues. An open-ended questionnaire was used in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their thought. From their answers it appeared that these students believe that climate change is under way and base their beliefs on their own experience. They are unaware of the proper actions to be taken for slowing down the climate change, they also hold the misconception that ozone depletion, acid rain, and pollution in general are conducive to climate change. They confuse greenhouse effect with ozone depletion as far as the mechanisms through which they occur is concerned and the causal compounds. By taking into account these research findings the possible implications for teaching are discussed and some suggestions for more effective teaching are made.