Empowering Secondary Education Teachers for Sustainable Climate Action

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is a well-written and well-laid-out article. I agree with the goals that the author has reinforced. Although I have no specific hesitation about the article's publication, I have a few comments that the author may accept or reject.

1. The article is very process-oriented, and by the process, I mean a certain rigidity in the overall curriculum. There are very few specifics about global warming or fossil fuel-related destruction of the globe, except to include climate as an essential curriculum goal.

Climate change is a horror unfolding before us. The author has tended to treat it like other typical sociological problems that need addressing. I wish the author were more passionate and bold. Fossil fuel combustion is leading humans to an existential crisis, but that did not come through in this article. I am worried that the students will also not recognize it as such with such a tepid curriculum. 

2. This reviewer has a science and technology research background, so the approach to a typical article making an educational point would be filled with many facts, equations, and figures. I see a complete lack of clear climate metrics or a bold climate-centric science curriculum in the author's vision.

3. In the same vein, I have noted a lack of clear assistance in the final recommendations regarding understanding unstable temperatures, unstable entropy generation rates, and erratic moisture flows around a groaning globe.  

At least where I am located, secondary school education is now filled with deep math, even in music theory.  Not insisting on the same rigor in climate education is a wasted opportunity.

Regardless, I can see no reason to prevent the publication of this article in the manner the author and editor see best. The author has taken great pains to organize it, particularly Figure 1 and Table 1, and should be commended for the research and insights.

Author Response

Reviewer 1: This is a well-written and well-laid-out article. I agree with the goals that the author has reinforced. Although I have no specific hesitation about the article's publication, I have a few comments that the author may accept or reject.

Comments 1: The article is very process-oriented, and by the process, I mean a certain rigidity in the overall curriculum. There are very few specifics about global warming or fossil fuel-related destruction of the globe, except to include climate as an essential curriculum goal.

Climate change is a horror unfolding before us. The author has tended to treat it like other typical sociological problems that need addressing. I wish the author were more passionate and bold. Fossil fuel combustion is leading humans to an existential crisis, but that did not come through in this article. I am worried that the students will also not recognize it as such with such a tepid curriculum.

Response 1: Thank you for the comment. I agree that climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced and that it is caused by an economic and social system based on the burning of fossil fuels. However, I believe that the purpose of this study is not to emphasize this reality, which has already been corroborated by various organizations like the IPCC. Additionally, while the burning of fossil fuels is often recognized by both teachers and students, how our society and daily lives are intricately linked to fossil fuels (in food production and consumption, goods and services, health, education, transportation, electricity generation, etc.) is more difficult to visualize. This is where the focus of the study lies: understanding how secondary school teachers address climate change in their role as educators. I have intentionally avoided being passionate in the text to maintain an objective tone, as I have not conducted empirical research, but rather synthesized the findings from studies conducted by other researchers.

Comments 2: This reviewer has a science and technology research background, so the approach to a typical article making an educational point would be filled with many facts, equations, and figures. I see a complete lack of clear climate metrics or a bold climate-centric science curriculum in the author's vision.

Response 2: Thank you for the comment. In this case, I disagree with the reviewer because this work is not about climate science nor about justifying the current climate reality. I begin with the assumption that climate change is real and that its origin lies in human activities. Therefore, I don't find it necessary to justify this reality with graphs and data that are already available in various IPCC reports and the studies they are based on.

Comments 3: In the same vein, I have noted a lack of clear assistance in the final recommendations regarding understanding unstable temperatures, unstable entropy generation rates, and erratic moisture flows around a groaning globe.

At least where I am located, secondary school education is now filled with deep math, even in music theory.  Not insisting on the same rigor in climate education is a wasted opportunity.

Response 3: Thank you for the comment. I did not address these aspects in the final recommendations because the goal was not to delve into which elements are most important for understanding and educating about climate change, especially given the complexity of a problem that extends beyond its physical and chemical realities. It was highlighted that teachers are requesting more and better training on the topic, but this training should encompass the complexity of the phenomenon, covering everything from its biophysical aspects (such as unstable temperatures, entropy generation, etc.) to its social, economic, and health-related dimensions.

Comments 4: Regardless, I can see no reason to prevent the publication of this article in the manner the author and editor see best. The author has taken great pains to organize it, particularly Figure 1 and Table 1, and should be commended for the research and insights.

Response 4: Thank you very much for your final comments and for the effort you put into reading and reviewing my work. Best regards

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is a useful and easy to follow summation of the challenges secondary education teachers have with Climate Change Education. I appreciate the concluding section where challenges and opportunities are explored (often the latter is ignored). In section 5.1 Curriculum Limitations and Insufficient Teaching Training, and section 5.2 Integration of Curriculum Climate Change Content, Problem-focus and solution-oriented strategies, I see opportunities to integrate the suggestions found here: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121174

Author Response

Comments 1: This is a useful and easy to follow summation of the challenges secondary education teachers have with Climate Change Education. I appreciate the concluding section where challenges and opportunities are explored (often the latter is ignored). In section 5.1 Curriculum Limitations and Insufficient Teaching Training, and section 5.2 Integration of Curriculum Climate Change Content, Problem-focus and solution-oriented strategies, I see opportunities to integrate the suggestions found here: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121174

Response 1: Thank you very much for your comment and for the time you spent reviewing my work. I will take the study you recommended into account for future projects, where I will explore the current findings in greater depth.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

A brief summary 

 

The study aims to build on previous reviews by examining teachers' perspectives on CCE at all levels of secondary education, and the specific aim is to investigate how middle and high school teachers approach CCE in their daily work. The strength of this article is improving the understanding of the achievement and evolution of CCE from a teaching perspective. The review provides a synthesis of knowledge about teachers' perspectives on CCE that could be useful to teachers and stakeholders in climate crisis integration in middle and high schools. The review process has been clarified to ensure transparency, replication and upgradeability. A systematic review protocol was followed and the CADIMA software tool was used. Following PRISMA's statements for review, out of 611 initial papers, 41 met the eligibility criteria. It was pointed out that teachers have a better understanding of the CC process and root causes compared to understanding their social, economic and health consequences, as well as possible solutions. The review observed common teaching practices about climate change where teachers work on climate-related content if it enables them to achieve other overarching goals. In conclusion, the review gives a collection of challenges and opportunities for rethinking the goals of the CGE.

General concept comments

Overall, this is an interesting and relevant topic.

The review is clear, comprehensive and of relevance to the field. This review is relevant and interesting to the scientific community but less so for teachers. The cited references are partly recent publications (46% within the last 5 years) and appropriate. Older references in most cases add value to the presentation findings. Excessive self-citations are not included. Statements and conclusions are drawn coherently and are supported by the listed citations. Tables and schemes are appropriate, easy to interpret, and understand, and properly show the data.

Everything is presented in a well-structured manner, but there are a few things I would suggest to make the manuscript better.

Challenges in promoting sustainable climate action in secondary education are very clearly highlighted. Despite that, the way they are presented, they are more focused on state institutions that create state curricula and teacher education, than on the teachers themselves. It would be useful for teachers to present a particular challenge they face and are aware of, along with a suggestion of how to overcome it in teaching. In addition to citing examples supported well in the literature, it would be appropriate if an additional explanation was prepared for opportunities to promote sustainable climate action in secondary education, which will be of greater use to teachers. Thus, for example, a table can be prepared that will support references in a slightly more complete form along with concise presentations of examples of good practice and the effects of such teaching, which will then become quality teacher's guides for teaching. It is a pity that the weak part of teaching observed related to understanding social, economic and health consequences, as well as possible solutions, together with the possibilities of application in teaching, was not systematized in the paper.

Specific comments 

228 – 229 The use of textbooks, internet resources, lectures or discussions in teaching is unmistakable, but for epistemological practices, practical tasks, and laboratory experiments, characteristic examples mentioned based on good practice should be mentioned, because in this way the article will be useful to teachers for the improvement of their teaching work.

252 – 253 Please clarify imparting the scientific principles that underlie the climatic system, which science teachers use as a teaching strategy.

257 – 258 It is not explained clearly why the time invested is scarce and how that may affect integrating CC into their teaching practice.

292 – 296 It would be better if the citations (e.g. [37,43,56,58] ) were linked to the teaching strategies used so that interested teachers could more easily find a more detailed description of application examples in teaching.

495 – 511 Conclusion Teacher Training and Professional Development are given that it is not intended for teachers and is not specifically useful for their teaching. It would better fit the previous point of conclusion.

 

521 It is necessary to carefully follow the prescribed style of preparation of references and include all data.

Author Response

Comments 1: Challenges in promoting sustainable climate action in secondary education are very clearly highlighted. Despite that, the way they are presented, they are more focused on state institutions that create state curricula and teacher education, than on the teachers themselves. It would be useful for teachers to present a particular challenge they face and are aware of, along with a suggestion of how to overcome it in teaching. In addition to citing examples supported well in the literature, it would be appropriate if an additional explanation was prepared for opportunities to promote sustainable climate action in secondary education, which will be of greater use to teachers. Thus, for example, a table can be prepared that will support references in a slightly more complete form along with concise presentations of examples of good practice and the effects of such teaching, which will then become quality teacher's guides for teaching. It is a pity that the weak part of teaching observed related to understanding social, economic and health consequences, as well as possible solutions, together with the possibilities of application in teaching, was not systematized in the paper.

Response 1: Thank you very much for the feedback. I understand and share the reviewer's interest in exploring and offering solutions for climate change education. However, this review did not focus on these aspects. As I mentioned in the introduction, the systematic review by Monroe et al. (2019) specifically addresses this by identifying effective strategies for teaching climate change in an educational context. In this sense, this review does not aim to update Monroe and her colleagues' work but rather to complement it. During the selection process, studies that presented and described teaching experiences and strategies were excluded because they were not the focus of the current review, which is why no results in this area are presented.

Comments 2: 228 – 229 The use of textbooks, internet resources, lectures or discussions in teaching is unmistakable, but for epistemological practices, practical tasks, and laboratory experiments, characteristic examples mentioned based on good practice should be mentioned, because in this way the article will be useful to teachers for the improvement of their teaching work.

Response 2: Thank you for the comment. While I understand the reviewer's concern regarding the study's usefulness for teachers, as I previously mentioned, the aim of this study was not to systematize best practices for educators, as that objective can be found in Monroe et al.'s (2019) study. The primary goal was to explore how teachers understand, address, and engage with climate change education in their teaching practice. To successfully complete a systematic review, the objective must be specific and achievable; otherwise, such studies can become overly complex. I believe that systematizing best practices in climate change education would constitute a different study from the one I am presenting.

Comments 3: 252 – 253 Please clarify imparting the scientific principles that underlie the climatic system, which science teachers use as a teaching strategy.

Response 3: The sentence has been changed by "Science teachers base their strategies on imparting the scientific principles that underlie the causes of climate change" (252-253)

Comments 4: 257 – 258 It is not explained clearly why the time invested is scarce and how that may affect integrating CC into their teaching practice.

Response 4: The sentence has been changed as follows: "Despite teachers expressing an interest in integrating CC into their teaching practice, the time invested is limited due to various factors such as curriculum constraints, lack of knowledge, and the difficulty of aligning CC content with teaching standards, among others" (257-260).

Comments 5: 292 – 296 It would be better if the citations (e.g. [37,43,56,58] ) were linked to the teaching strategies used so that interested teachers could more easily find a more detailed description of application examples in teaching.

Response 5: Thanks for the comments. The paragraph has been changed as follows: "

Among the teachers who report using specific strategies to address the topic, they highlight those related to the nature of science, involving students in data collection, analysis, and conclusion formulation [56]. Other strategies they mention include explaining scientific uncertainty, presenting the reasoning behind different interpretations of CC, discussing the pros and cons of climate-related policies [47], exploring the history of CC science, engaging in discussions about sceptical beliefs [58], spatial and temporal reasoning [37], planning or constructing evidence-based explanations [43]. (292-298)"

Comments 6: 495 – 511 Conclusion Teacher Training and Professional Development are given that it is not intended for teachers and is not specifically useful for their teaching. It would better fit the previous point of conclusion.

Response 6: Thank you very much for your comment. However, I disagree with the reviewer in this case. Regarding teacher training, the obstacle of "Insufficient Teacher Training" (450-455) is identified, which is also linked to the opportunity to improve teacher training through courses and professional development. For this reason, this point has been included in the section on opportunities and areas for improvement.

Comments 7: 521 It is necessary to carefully follow the prescribed style of preparation of references and include all data.

Response 7: Thank you very much for your feedback. The missing links for some references have been added, and the missing data have been provided.

 

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for considering my input and incorporating my suggestions. 

I am in favour of publishing the article in its current form. 

However, I believe that the focus of your paper on serving teachers should be reconsidered. Instead, I recommend that the article target curriculum creators, higher education institutions, and lifelong education. 

Best regards and best wishes for your future work.

Author Response

Comments 1: 

I am in favour of publishing the article in its current form. 

However, I believe that the focus of your paper on serving teachers should be reconsidered. Instead, I recommend that the article target curriculum creators, higher education institutions, and lifelong education. 

Response 1: Thank you very much. I totally agree with your observation. I have made the following changes:

P.2 lines 61-64 "The findings are anticipated to provide a synthesis of knowledge about teachers' perspectives on CCE that could be useful for teachers and stakeholders in integrating the climate crisis into middle and high schools" FOR  "The findings are anticipated to provide a synthesis of knowledge about teachers' perspectives on CCE that could be useful for curriculum creators, higher education institutions, and lifelong education stakeholders in integrating the climate crisis into middle and high schools"

P.8, lines 506-509 "In this regard, higher education institutions play a fundamental role in the training of future education professionals, although this is not sufficient and should be reinforced with training and professional development programs and networks " FOR "In this regard, higher education institutions and curriculum creators play a fundamental role in the training of future education professionals, although this is not sufficient and should be reinforced with training and professional development programs, networks and lifelong education programs "

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf