Participants and teachers from seven countries enjoyed collaborative learning, interaction, workshops and daily lectures. This year’s topic was teacher–researcher collaboration. In traditional Finnish style, the participants had the opportunity to relax in a sauna, barbecue and hike in the forest together.
Teachers’ responses regarding the Forum were positive. The event, packed with information, provided workshops, lectures, and keynote lectures in a multidisciplinary manner. Cross border research and national cooperation shine at the heart of the Forum.
One of the keynote speakers was Professor Ying-Shao Hsu of the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). She focused on co-design, an approach embracing all perspectives and engaging specialists in various fields.
– This kind of climate education is one of the major missions in our country. We have business groups cooperating with scientists to develop materials and raise the public awareness and consensus regarding climate change, says Professor Ying-Shao Hsu.
Teachers need support from climate change specialists and scientists to be able to understand the complexities of climate change and develop materials for current and future learners.
– Climate change education is important because it addresses urgent issues and aids in developing materials, to implement better strategies in the future, she summarizes.
Collaboration and complex issues considering science
One of the highlights of the international Forum – gathering participants from 7 different countries – was a visit to the SMEAR II Research Station; a station concealed in the surrounding forest.
– Climate change is a topic of global concern, yet climate change education has not received adequate attention in many countries. The lack of systematic research makes this “Teachers’ Climate Change Forum”, now in its seventh year, more necessary and forward-thinking, says participant and University of Helsinki PhD student, Ruonan Hu from China.
Some of the cornerstones of the Forum were forming friendships, establishing cross border collaborations, and coming up with creative ways to tackle climate changes. According to Hu, the Forum can be described in the following way: scientifically rigorous, packed with information, focused on innovation, thoroughly engaging, and globally influential.
– The forum had significant “global influence.” International research projects like the art and science school project and the core beliefs survey provided excellent examples of how cross border research is conducted, says Hu.
The Forum is organized by the University of Helsinki Science Education (a part of LUMA Centre Finland) and Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR). The director of the Forum is professor Maija Aksela (LUMA Centre Finland) and the deputy director is Senior University Lecturer Taina Ruuskanen (INAR).
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