Can the history of geology inform geoscience education and public reception of climate change? Lessons from the history of glacial theory

[摘要] Public understanding of climate change is imperative as communities face the consequences of a warming planet. While the vast majority of the scientific community agrees upon the causes and projections of climate change, public and political debates indicate far less public acceptance. This investigation examined whether an earlier proposal of climate change in the history of science could facilitate climate literacy in modern climate discussions. Louis Agassiz’s 1837 glacial theory proposal was received with initial skepticism, heavily debated, and eventually accepted by the majority of the scientific community 30–40 yr later. In this research, students (n = 24) in an online Earth history course participated in a six unit climate change discussion, with one unit focused upon Agassiz’s proposal of glacial theory. Although pre– and post–Climate Change Survey comparisons (n = 21) documented no significant change in climate change content, the students’ incoming knowledge was significantly greater when compared with their colleagues in previous years. Content analysis of students’ online discussions documented that students addressed most understandings of the nature of science matrix, while content analysis of students’ anonymous survey responses (n = 22) revealed three stable themes, including the benefits of the history of science for providing context for developing theories, facilitating broader understanding of the nature of science, and providing historical episodes that directly relate to modern debates. While students affirmed the importance of the historical climate change episode within their climate discussions, more research is needed to elucidate whether the history can also result in improved climate literacy.

[学科分类] 地质学