Implementing Climate Change Education: The Role of Inter-sectorial Collaborations

Education is essential for preparing societies to live in the era of Climate Change (CC), with increasing calamities. Accordingly, Departments of Education across the globe are currently grappling with the challenge of developing and implementing CC curricula. While there is a growing body of research examining CC curricula and their implementation, research scarcely gives a voice to policy makers and educators who are actively involved in CC curriculum development and implementation. The present study focuses on Israel as a case study and puts forward the objectives to (i) analyze the perceptions of CC education policymakers and education professionals regarding climate change education (CCE); (ii) identify existing opportunities and challenges to effective implementation; and (iii) characterize the inter-sectorial collaborations involved in CCE implementation. Data was collected from: policymakers in the Israel Ministry of Education (MoE), coordinators of middle school teachers’ professional development, and secondary school teachers who are currently active in CCE. Thematic analysis revealed wide agreement concerning the importance of implementing CCE; the importance of the science basis of CC alongside other multidisciplinary aspects; an agreement that CC needs to be taught in a cross-curriculum approach; and the important roles of values and activism. The findings also revealed challenges related to epistemological ambiguity, realizing system change and curriculum users’ experience. Finally, the role of inter-sectorial collaborations is discussed, highlighting the complexity of the relationships.