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Diferentes percepciones del cambio climático en la región mediterránea en el profesorado en formación. Una aproximación desde las Ciencias Sociales



Álvaro Francisco Morote Seguido, Jorge Olcina Cantos



Resumen:

El objetivo de esta investigación es presentar los principales efectos climáticos ya constatados que se manifiestan en la región mediterránea y, por otro, analizar la percepción que tiene el profesorado en formación (Universidad de Valencia, España) sobre estos efectos. Los resultados indican que la mayoría de los/as participantes perciben principalmente cambios atmosféricos (75,8%). Asimismo, se ha comprobado que no existen diferencias de percepción entre el profesorado de Educación Primaria y Secundaria. Los resultados resultan de notable interés ya que puede condicionar la enseñanza del cambio climático en la región mediterránea en torno al “qué enseñar” y el “cómo enseñar”.

Abstract:

Teaching on the subject of climate change has experienced notable interest and renewal in recent years due to social-environmental concern in the framework of the current global warming process. Climate change is the main environmental problem and of socio-economic implication that humanity faces in this century. The Sixth Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2021) has conclusively evidenced the role of human beings in the current process of global warming and the notable impact that this process will have if mitigation and adaptation measures are not adopted in a manner imminent. For this reason, it is of the utmost important to raise awareness and teach the issues of this phenomenon rigorously as a means to reduce its impact. The results obtained will be of vital interest since it can condition the “what to teach” (content) and “how to teach” (methodologies and resources) when explaining climate change issues at school, which, as has been stated. These are content that is notably influenced by the media. As a starting hypothesis, it is established that the perception of teachers in training is that they will be aware of the real changes already manifested in the Mediterranean climate as a result of the planetary thermal warming process. It should be noted that there would be a relationship, mainly, with the variable temperature (increase in temperature, sudden changes in weather) and the increase in extreme phenomena (floods, droughts). And in terms of qualifications (teaching staff in Education and Secondary-Baccalaureate training) there would be no significant differences. The objective of this research is to present, on the one hand, the main climatic effects (temperatures and rainfall) already verified that are manifested in the Iberian peninsula, especially in the Mediterranean region) and, on the other, to analyze the perception that teachers in training have (Primary and Secondary Education; University of Valencia, Spain) on these effects. The working method starts, in the first place, from the consultation of different documentation and academic works. To complete objective nº1, it has been necessary to analyze the official reports by international and Spanish organizations. In relation with the aim nº2, for the data collection process, a questionnaire previously designed, validated and adapted from previous research was passed, both in teachers in training in Primary Education and in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate. The questionnaire consists of 24 items and is divided into 4 large sections: 1) socio-educational characteristics; 2) training on climate change during the school stage; 3) the importance of the media; 4) the perception of climate change by future teachers; and 5) teacher training on climate change. For this research, and taking into account the proposed objectives, the responses to item 3 (“Degree”; closed question; -section 1-) and item 14 “What changes or effects derived from climate change do you perceive in your daily life?” (open question; -section 4-). In this research, first of all, the main effects of climate change that are already manifesting in the Spanish Mediterranean territory have been presented from the scientific literature. And, secondly, it has been possible to verify the effects on this phenomenon perceived by a population cohort of notable interest for their work in raising awareness of the present and future of society, such as teachers in training, with the ultimate aim of verifying whether manifestations of global warming are perceived. This population sample, therefore, is of notable interest to analyze its social representation of one of the most important phenomena and challenges of the current decade. The results indicate that the majority of the participants perceived some manifestation of climate change in their daily lives, mainly atmospheric changes (75.8%), especially the increase in temperature and sudden changes in the weather (61.3%). Likewise, it has been found that there are no differences in perception between Primary and Secondary Education teachers. Regarding the initial hypotheses, these are fulfilled. In the first place, it was argued that “the perception of the teaching staff in training is that they will be aware of the real changes already manifested in the Mediterranean climate as a result of the planetary thermal warming process”, and that the perceived effects, mainly, would have to do with “The variable temperature (increase in temperature, sudden changes in weather) and the increase in extreme phenomena (floods, droughts)”. It has been verified that most of the participants perceive some manifestation of climate change in their daily lives, mainly atmospheric changes (75.8%), especially the increase in temperature and sudden changes in the weather that represent 61.3% on the total. Likewise, the opinions on the increase in natural hazards (13.0%) should be highlighted in second place. Therefore, teachers in training, and with hardly any differences between Primary and Secondary Education (second hypothesis), perceive in their daily lives that climate change is manifesting itself in the variable temperature (generalized increase in temperature and sudden changes in the weather) and to a lesser extent, the increase in natural hazards. They are, therefore, perceptions that coincide with the effects already verified by the scientific literature in the Spanish field. The results obtained in this work are of notable interest since it can condition the teaching of climate change in the Mediterranean region around “what to teach” (content) and “how to teach” (methodologies and resources). It is evident that the climate change experienced today is a process that will accompany us as a society throughout this century. The lack of international agreements to reduce the share of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere, augurs several more decades of thermal warming throughout the planet, with the regional effects indicated. The Mediterranean region is an area of preferential attention in terms of climate change, as the latest IPCC report (IPCC, 2021) has shown, hence the priority need in the effective transmission of scientific evidence of climate change in the classroom, basic for the formation of the generations that will experience the most radical effects of this climate change process and that will have to more effectively develop solutions to reduce its effects. It is not a matter of leaving the solution to climate change exclusively in the hands of future generations since this is also in our hands, but the absolute need to have generations aware of the issue. Hence, the urgency of training secondary and high school teachers in this matter (object of study) and that they know how to transmit messages based on scientific evidence.

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