The ‘web of conditions’ governing England’s climate change education policy landscape

ABSTRACT

Environmental and climate change education remains on the margins of education and climate change policy. This paper draws on Foucauldian theoretical resources to examine England’s climate change education policy landscape and understand the causes of this marginalisation. Informed by policy historiography, we examine key events and shifts in climate change, education and environmental education since the turn of the millennium. Using policy archaeology, we ‘excavate’ the contemporary policy landscape and identify that: i) policy is lacking; ii) responding to the climate crisis is overlooked in education; iii) pro-environmental ambition is absent; and, iv) economic values dominate. In a global context where activists have called for ‘more!’ climate change education, the analyses reveal the complexity of the problem. A ‘web of conditions’ governing climate change education policy is illuminated. Foucault-informed analytical tools offer insights on how this web may be rebuilt.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Early Career Writing Group in the King’s College London, School of Education, Communication and Society for their feedback on early drafts of this paper.

Disclosure statement

The findings reported in this paper were part of a doctoral research project funded by the Rosalind Driver Memorial Fund.

Notes

1. The National Curriculum is organised into key stages (KS): KS1: Years 1–2 (ages 5 to 7); KS2: Years 3–6 (ages 7 to 11); KS3: Year 7–9 (ages 11–14), and KS4: Years 10–11 (ages 14 to 16).

2. The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is a set of exams usually taken at the end of Year 11. The General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A Level) is usually required for entry into universities and taken at the end of year 13 (age 18).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Rosalind Driver Memorial Fund [NA].

Notes on contributors

Kate Greer

Kate Greeris a post-doctoral research fellow and Associate Director of the Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education (MECCE) Project, a global partnership project led by the Sustainability and Education Policy Network. Her research interests span environmental and climate change education, social justice, and public policy. 

Heather King

Heather Kingis Reader in Science Education. Her research examines the ways in which educators design and facilitate socially and environmentally just learning experiences with science across many contexts including schools, museums, and the outdoors. 

Melissa Glackin

Melissa Glackin is a Lecturer in Science Education whose research is in environmental education, science education and out-of-classroom teaching. Melissa is particularly interested in how teacher’s beliefs and teacher self-efficacy influence teaching behaviours, and in pre-service and in-service professional development.