Changing students’ alternative conceptions about the greenhouse effect and global warming – a prerequisite for education for sustainable development

Abstract

The correct understanding of the greenhouse effect is an important prerequisite for the ability to support political measures to reduce the greenhouse gas CO2. However, alternative conceptions about the greenhouse effect and the resulting global warming are widespread and extremely difficult to change. Thus, a learning environment based on the findings of instructional psychology geared to the implementation of a long-term conceptual change of students’ alternative conceptions was developed. A longitudinal survey was applied utilising a pretestposttest design with intervention and a delayed posttest after two months, including 289 students in grade eight. The statistical analysis shows that the learning environment caused a significant and relatively persistent increase in knowledge and a better understanding of the natural and anthropogenic greenhouse effect phenomenon.