Individual work can enhance learning about climate change in schools

Study shows teachers often rely on traditional methods to teach climate change.

As climate change becomes one of the most pressing issues of our time, the need for effective education in this area has never been greater. How can educators effectively teach students about climate change?

– Our study aimed to identify which instructional activities optimize student learning about climate change. We used mobile technology to survey upper secondary students in real time. This allowed us to examine how students’ instructional activities, achievement goals, and emotions were interrelated throughout their lessons, explains Academy Postdoctoral Researcher Junlin Yu.

– By repeatedly surveying students' task-specific goals using experience sampling methods, our findings suggest that achievement goals are responsive to instructional activities and are more dynamic than previously assumed.

The study involved 345 first-year upper secondary students in Helsinki, enrolled in a physics module on energy production and climate change. During each lesson, students received three prompts on their mobile phones asking them to report their current activity, goals, and emotions. 

Individual work promoted learning more than group work

According to the study, science teachers often relied on somewhat traditional methods to teach climate change. In half of the study situations, students reported they were following teacher presentations. Individual assignments and group work were also used as teaching methods, but less often.

Students reported significantly more learning goals when working independently on assignments. These learning goals in turn positively affected their level of interest in the activity.

This supports the idea that individual work gives students the opportunity to apply and practice their learning, which in turn enhances their learning goals and interest.

– The findings of this study suggest that individual work, where students have the autonomy to apply what they have learned, has the potential to enhance learning and increase interest. 

On the contrary, group work was the least effective in promoting learning goals. In fact, students expressed concerns about their abilities during group activities, which led to increased anxiety.

– Although project-based learning and collaborative problem solving are often emphasized in science education, group activities must be carefully designed to truly foster learning. Given the positive effects of individual work, educators may want to incorporate opportunities for individual reflection and independent practice into their science lessons.

 

Original article: Junlin Yu, Jussi Järvinen, Katariina Salmela-Aro,Momentary achievement goal profiles: Associations with instructional activities, interest, and anxiety, Learning and Instruction, 95 (2024).