Engaging students in discussing global climate change issues with friends and family

This preliminary study reports upon students' experiences in engaging friends and family members in discussing global climate change for required assignments in a laboratory-centered physics course for prospective elementary and middle school teachers, (https://open.oregonstate.education/physicsforteachers). Research questions included: What happens when students teach one or more friends and/or family members about topics they have just learned about global climate change in class? What do they and their learners learn? Also considered were the impact of shifting to remote instruction and ways this study is an example of participatory forms of research. Participants included the students and their learners. Data sources included written responses for friends and family assignments and two surveys. The students were active participants who chose the focus, format, and resources for interacting with their learners. Some friends and family members were willing to contemplate possible life-style changes. Some students learned that they could inspire others to consider such life-style issues. Shifting to remote instruction facilitated friends and/or family interactions for some but also introduced limitations for others. Overall, the students had mixed reactions to these friends and family assignments. Such assignments provide opportunities for students to initiate interactions that increase public knowledge of global climate change issues.