Date Approved

2020

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Chemistry

Committee Member

Amy Flanagan Johnson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

W. John Koolage, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Harriet Lindsay, Ph.D.

Abstract

An interdisciplinary pop-up learning community (PLC) allowed students from various disciplines with different levels of content knowledge to discuss their perspectives and beliefs on climate change. The impact of this event on students was gauged by a survey from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. Furthermore, this project focuses on pre-service teachers who participated in the PLC. In order to investigate how pre-service teachers understand climate change and how they may or may not integrate these issues into their own instruction, individual interviews were conducted prior to and after the PLC to determine if the event had an impact on the pre-service teachers’ beliefs on climate change. After attending the PLC, students now realize that climate change is an interdisciplinary topic and they can apply their general education skills when addressing climate change arguments. Pre-service teachers reflected on how they would bring environmental awareness into their own classrooms.

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