Responding to climate change ‘controversy’ in schools: Philosophy for Children, place-responsive pedagogies & Critical Indigenous Pedagogy

Abstract

Despite the scientific consensus, climate change continues to be socially and politically controversial. Consequently, teachers may worry about accusations of political indoctrination if they teach climate change in their classrooms. Research shows that many teachers are using the ‘teaching the controversy’ approach to teach climate change, essentially allowing students to make up their own mind about climate change. Drawing on some philosophical literature about indoctrination and controversial issues, we argue that such an approach is inappropriate and, given the escalating crisis that is climate change, potentially dangerous. Instead, we propose integrating three well-established educational practices, Philosophy for Children, place-responsive pedagogies, and Critical Indigenous Pedagogy, to help teachers and students critically examine climate change controversy while still meeting the key goals of climate change education.

Keywords:

• Climate change education
• controversial issues
• indoctrination
• Critical Indigenous Pedagogy
• Philosophy for Children
• place-responsive learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Australian research has made similar findings (Leviston et al., 2014).

2 For a detailed philosophical discussion about what to teach as controversial, see Hand (2008).

3 Peirce also thought that one should not doubt everything, rather doubt should be genuine and experiential.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia.

Notes on contributors

Jennifer Bleazby

Jennifer Bleazby is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia. She has published in the areas of philosophy of education, moral education, pragmatist and feminist philosophy, and philosophy for children.

Simone Thornton

Simone Thornton is a Lecturer at the University of Wollongong and an Honorary Research Fellow at The University of Queensland. Her research publications intersect the areas of social and political philosophy, educational philosophy, environmental education, place-responsive pedagogies, disruptive philosophy and philosophy in schools.

Gilbert Burgh

Gilbert Burgh is an Honorary Associate Professor in Philosophy in the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland. He has published widely on democratic education, civics and citizenship education, dialogic pedagogy, the community of inquiry in educational discourse, and philosophy in schools.

Mary Graham

Mary Graham is a Kombumerri person through her father’s heritage and affiliated with Wakka through her mother’s people. Mary has worked across several government agencies, community organisations and universities, including the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action as a Native Title Researcher and as a Regional Counsellor for the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. She taught in the areas Aboriginal history, politics and comparative philosophy at The University of Queensland, and lectured nationally on these subjects, and published numerous papers in these areas.