A quantitative perspective on the limitations of transversal approaches to climate change in Spanish secondary education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22419794 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Júlio J Conde (0000-0001-8739-6893, Social Pedagogy and Environmental Education Research Group (SEPA-interea), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, corresponding author), Antonio García-Vinuesa (0000-0003-3969-4647, Social Pedagogy and Environmental Education Research Group (SEPA-interea), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela), Pablo Angel Meira Cartea (0000-0003-0194-7477, Social Pedagogy and Environmental Education Research Group (SEPA-interea), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-11 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1038-2046 • E-ISSN: 1747-7611 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10382046.2026.2666208 |
| OpenAlex | W7160871698 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Incorporating climate change education into secondary curricula is a pressing challenge in the context of the climate emergency. In Spain, policy promoted a transversal framing of sustainability, but climate change remained only partially specified across subjects, raising concerns about effective implementation. Drawing on the theoretical lens of social representations, this study examines differences in students’ climate change knowledge and beliefs, risk perception, and attribution of responsibility through a cross-sectional comparison between the first and final years of secondary education in a sample of 6,398 students in Spanish Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO, ISCED 2-3). Results show a statistically significant improvement in students’ knowledge and beliefs between the first and final years of secondary education, but the effect size is small, indicating limited educational relevance. No meaningful progress was observed in responsibility attribution or risk perception, with some indicators even declining. These findings suggest that transversal and fragmented curricular approaches, focused primarily on scientific literacy, are insufficient to foster meaningful awareness of climate change. Future reforms should provide dedicated curricular space that connects scientific, social, and ethical dimensions, enabling students to develop more robust and engaged representations of the climate crisis.
Climate change · Environmental education · Secondary education · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Sustainability in Higher Education
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| Highly cited | No |
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