Using a scoping review to inform a planetary-conscious pedagogical approach to primary science education

Amy Strachan; Andy Markwick

doi:10.1007/s11165-025-10280-y

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Using a scoping review to inform a planetary-conscious pedagogical approach to primary science education

Journal article

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Using a scoping review to inform a planetary-conscious pedagogical approach to primary science education

Amy Strachan and Andy Markwick

Research in Science Education , Vol.55(4), pp.817-871

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-025-10280-y

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Abstract

climate change education

climate change education pedagogy

primary science education

This paper puts forward that primary science education can provide a crucial opportunity to establish a foundational understanding that develops planetary-consciousness – defined by Kingsley (2015) as an understanding of our interconnectivity and interdependence that allows us to consciously connect, collaborate and care about the future. Through promoting this consciousness, learners can question, understand, imagine and hope in ways that bring about responsible action for planetary wellbeing. While previous research has argued that we need to look beyond science education to develop a more holistic climate change education (OECD, 2024), this scoping review returns to the importance of science education by considering not only the substantive knowledge associated with climate change education, but also the pedagogical approaches that reframe science as a more-than-human endeavour. Drawing on Olson's (2008) conception of asking questions about and for the natural world, this approach recognises that meaningful scientific inquiry emerges from understanding our embeddedness within, rather than separation from, the planetary systems we study. There has been an exponential growth in the number of publications related to climate change education (Kumar et al., 2023). This paper reviews research in climate change education (using three databases: ERIC, Google Scholar and Education Database) in formal education settings, identifying how the key findings from recent research (2022 – 2024) can be used to inform a planetary-conscious pedagogical approach to primary science education. This approach suggests that substantive and disciplinary knowledge (chemical, physical, biological, Earth and space sciences) within curriculum frameworks can be underpinned by evidence-informed and participatory approaches that cultivate the interconnected understanding, collaborative capacity, and caring relationships essential for more just and responsive engagement with the climate crisis.

Details

Title: Using a scoping review to inform a planetary-conscious pedagogical approach to primary science education
Authors: Amy Strachan (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary Access
Andy Markwick (Author) - University College London
Publication details: Research in Science Education , Vol.55(4), pp.817-871
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1007/s11165-025-10280-y
ISSN: 1573-1898; 0157-244X
Copyright note: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Organisation Unit: School of Education and Tertiary Access
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991148939902621
Output Type: Journal article