Teaching equitably about climate change:  Linking Higher Education research

FASS, The Open University

Hosted by Global Challenges and Social Justice Research Centre (GCSJ) - Teaching equitably about climate change:  Linking Higher Education r

How do we teach equitably about climate change? This is the challenge that the ESRC IAA grant Global Inequalities and Climate Change aimed to address. Parvati Raghuram (Open University), Melis Cin (Lancaster University), and Manu Lekunze (University of Aberdeen), in collaboration with Chris Winter (Geography Association) and Dan Whittall (Geography Association), developed new teaching materials for Key Stage 3 (ages 11–14) to address the climate crisis through a decolonial lens, focusing on a case study from Cameroon. These materials aim to bridge gaps in geography education by highlighting the intersections of climate change and global inequalities rooted in colonial legacies and the postcolonial present. This presentation explores how higher education research can feed directly into school teaching materials and what can be gained through this. We focus specifically on some elements of how to teach equitably about global South countries through embedded research and some of the challenges of working on such projects. It will also showcase the teaching materials.The need for such resources is evidenced by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Africa report (2022), which highlights a key challenge for UK teachers: addressing misconceptions about how Africa is taught in schools. Also, the IPCC Reports (2019–2022) emphasize the significant role of human activities in driving climate change. Despite this, many school curricula lack accessible and engaging case studies that connect these human impacts to broader issues of global inequality. In response, these resources are designed to align directly with Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) objectives by diversifying curriculum content and providing teachers with decolonial pedagogies that are more reflective of the UK’s diverse society.These innovative materials directly address these gaps, drawing on qualitative data and visual materials from the <a href="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.decolonising-education-for-peace-africa.org%2Fproject%2Fcameroon&data=05%7C02%7CFASS-SSGS-Research-Centre%40open.ac.uk%7C7a909e0d0e5e43af8c3b08dd4f929698%7C0e2ed45596af4100bed3a8e5fd981685%7C0%7C0%7C638754213233677378%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Ji396wTMmyP%2FofbWIOnUCN4I78wVJQy%2B%2BZRVZF5%2BBvE%3D&reserved=0" title="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.decolonising-education-for-peace-africa.org%2Fproject%2Fcameroon&data=05%7C02%7CFASS-SSGS-Research-Centre%40open.ac.uk%7C7a909e0d0e5e43af8c3b08dd4f929698%7C0e2ed45596af4100bed3a8e5fd981685%7C0%7C0%7C638754213233677378%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Ji396wTMmyP%2FofbWIOnUCN4I78wVJQy%2B%2BZRVZF5%2BBvE%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Cameroon case study</a> of the AHRC GCRF Network+ <a href="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.decolonising-education-for-peace-africa.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7CFASS-SSGS-Research-Centre%40open.ac.uk%7C7a909e0d0e5e43af8c3b08dd4f929698%7C0e2ed45596af4100bed3a8e5fd981685%7C0%7C0%7C638754213233700829%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oGfpT0%2B5uaZ2Q%2BOTtTY0CdPfzRIR4XSieu8%2FxtMqbJ8%3D&reserved=0" title="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.decolonising-education-for-peace-africa.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7CFASS-SSGS-Research-Centre%40open.ac.uk%7C7a909e0d0e5e43af8c3b08dd4f929698%7C0e2ed45596af4100bed3a8e5fd981685%7C0%7C0%7C638754213233700829%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oGfpT0%2B5uaZ2Q%2BOTtTY0CdPfzRIR4XSieu8%2FxtMqbJ8%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Decolonising Peace Education in Africa (DEPA)</a> project. By drawing on in-depth research we showcase the lived experiences of people in Cameroon affected by climate change, thus not only deepening students' understanding of the climate crisis but also encouraging critical thinking about global interconnections and justice.Accompanied by teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training and an online rollout, these materials aim to leave a lasting legacy by fostering more inclusive and impactful geography teaching in the UK and beyond. By integrating these resources into classrooms, we aspire to inspire young learners to critically engage with the pressing challenges of the climate crisis and its global implications.The materials are currently being widely disseminated among geography teachers in the UK and Cameroon, and we will host online sessions and public interviews to expand their reach further.To access and download the materials: <a href="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgeography.org.uk%2Fresources%2Fglobal-inequalities-and-the-climate-crisis%2F&data=05%7C02%7CFASS-SSGS-Research-Centre%40open.ac.uk%7C7a909e0d0e5e43af8c3b08dd4f929698%7C0e2ed45596af4100bed3a8e5fd981685%7C0%7C0%7C638754213233714136%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=NS9bfp2NcV12mgGVnZ64YsRsJX1kuIdUGVMEBhw0HWo%3D&reserved=0" title="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgeography.org.uk%2Fresources%2Fglobal-inequalities-and-the-climate-crisis%2F&data=05%7C02%7CFASS-SSGS-Research-Centre%40open.ac.uk%7C7a909e0d0e5e43af8c3b08dd4f929698%7C0e2ed45596af4100bed3a8e5fd981685%7C0%7C0%7C638754213233714136%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=NS9bfp2NcV12mgGVnZ64YsRsJX1kuIdUGVMEBhw0HWo%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://geography.org.uk/resources/global-inequalities-and-the-climate-crisis/</a>Speakers:

Professor Parvati RaghuramParvati Raghuram is Professor in Geography and Migration at the Open University. Her research interests focus on the ways in which the mobility, of individuals, goods and of ideas is reshaping the world. In one of her recent AHRC funded project Decolonising Peace Education in Africa she looked at how creativity can be used as a resource to create peace, to earn an income and to learn in equitable ways. The DEPA project covered 14 countries and has brought about lasting change in many communities.

Dr Melis CinMelis Cin is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Justice at Lancaster University. Her research sits at the intersection of education, gender, and international development. She was a Co-Investigator on the AHRC project Decolonising Education for Peace in Africa, which spanned over 14 countries and engaged in the production of inclusive teaching materials focused on creative economies, peace pedagogies, and the climate crisis.

Dr Manu LekunzeManu Lekunze is Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Aberdeen. He studies the security of states in the continually changing domestic, regional, and international environments. His research has covered questions on several aspects of national security, like maritime strategy, intelligence, insurgency, political economy, and the role of education in national security. Dr Lekunze’s research on the role of education in national security has informed innovative policies on how developing states can use formal education systems and content to contribute to peace, security, and prosperity.

Dr Dan WhittallDan is Research Engagement Lead for the Geographical Association, and teaches Geography at a sixth form college in West Yorkshire. He has over ten years’ experience in classrooms and has written for Teaching Geography as well as other publications. He is on the editorial board of Routes: The Student Geography Journal and is also a member of the Decolonising Geography collective.