Publication Date

2023

Document Type

Article

Journal Article Version

Submitted Manuscript Under Review

Volume

TBA

Issue

TBA

Abstract

Children are worried about climate change. Educational settings provide an opportunity to provide coping resources, but teachers do not always feel comfortable doing so. One reason for hesitancy may be their own negative emotions. This paper describes findings from a survey of Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE)’s teacher network, looking at teachers’ perceptions and emotions about climate change, as well as their experiences in teaching climate-related topics. Teachers had both positive and negative responses to climate change; motivation and compassion along with frustration and sadness were the four most common emotional responses. They also generally felt supported in their teaching. Both positive and negative emotions inspired teachers to talk with their students about climate change, but climate anxiety was associated with hesitancy. There was evidence that increased understanding of climate change was associated with lower climate anxiety. Teachers reported that they would value more support for teaching climate change.

Keywords

climate change, climate anxiety, emotions, support, education, teachers

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ACE_Teacher_Anxiety_Survey_anon.sav (5961 kB)
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