Tackling climate anxiety through pedagogical research

How would you characterise pedagogical research?

Pedagogical research refers to the study of education, that being, research which aims to develop understanding of the learning or teaching experience. This could include new insights or improvements to educational theory and practices, assessment and inclusion.

Pedagogical research may involve a range of methodological approaches including quantitative and qualitative analyses (or a combination of both) contributing to a remarkably diverse and extensive body of literature.

What led you to study pedagogical research?

After graduating from the Environmental Geography Hons. programme at University of Stirling in 2019, I completed a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) at University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. During this time, I became absorbed by pedagogical concepts and challenges. I became particularly enthused about the education surrounding environmental subject matters, how they’re taught and how we could do it better.

I also became deeply motivated to tackle our mental health crisis from a pedagogical perspective. Anyone who looks at the figures in Jonathon Haidt’s book “The Anxious Generation” would be concerned about the negative links between social media, depression and anxiety.

What encouraged you to apply for a BES Pedagogical Research grant?

I was encouraged to apply for a BES pedagogical grant because it provided unique support to tackle a pedagogical research gap relating to ecology. These opportunities are extremely rare, so it’s really innovative of the British Ecological Society to identify the need for more pedagogical research in the realm of ecology.

Pedagogical research provides a unique opportunity where your research can positively impact the lives of students and society more broadly.

My colleagues Martina Quaggiotto and Jo Clarke specifically encouraged me to apply, along with Eileen Tisdall they strongly supported the formulation of the project, so I have to thank them massively!

What are you hoping to achieve in your project?

This project aims to develop a skills-based pedagogical framework to tackle climate anxiety through the development of skills for sustainability. There are four main stages to this project:

1. The first thing we want to understand is the prevalence of climate anxiety amongst our student cohorts in Biological and Environmental Sciences here at University of Stirling. This will be assessed using the Climate Change Anxiety Scale developed by Clayton and Karazsia in 2020.
2. We then aim to develop a bespoke suite of cognitive & communication skills for alleviating climate anxiety by bringing together practitioners and academics in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and sustainability. We will all get around the table and discuss the ways in which climate anxiety could be tackled through the lens of antifragility (the theory that exposure to new ideas and concepts makes the system stronger, so long as they don’t cause trauma). We will use CBT as a vector to attain antifragility, through reinforcing positive coping strategies (cognitive skills for sustainability).
3. We have selected an outstanding undergraduate, Lindis Kipp, as an IT assistant. She will develop an online digital platform (or tool) which promotes these new cognitive skills for sustainability / climate antifragility. Participants (students) will use this tool to attain cognitive skills for sustainability. The second part of this two-pronged approach is to hold student workshops to develop cooperative skills for sustainability.
4. Finally, we will reassess the students’ degrees of climate anxiety to gauge whether the framework has been successful before disseminating the online digital tool.

We hope that this approach will help alleviate climate anxiety and promote more environmentally committed citizens.

How did you identify the people who will take part?

Throughout my studies and my time as an educator, I’ve had numerous people indicate feelings of anxiousness toward climate change and sustainability (climate anxiety). This is often to the point of feeling powerless, hopeless and overwhelmed by the challenges ahead. What we know now, is that these feelings can not only be detrimental to students’ wellbeing, but they can be unproductive in the battle for sustainability.

I want to understand the phenomenon of climate anxiety among Biological and Environmental Science student cohorts and see if we can develop coping mechanisms to improve their experience, their lives and improve environmental commitment.

Any advice for others considering pedagogical research?

Do it! One of the biggest challenges I hear from researchers is the difficulty of making an impact outside of their isolated field. Pedagogical research provides a unique opportunity where your research can positively impact the lives of students and society more broadly.

The findings of your research may directly feed into educational policy. It is extremely rare in research that you can observe, first-hand, the impact of your findings on a day-to-day basis, but pedagogical research makes that possible.

Fund your research with a BES grant

The second round of BES grants for 2024, including Pedagogical Research and Development Grants, are open until 11 September. Head to our grants page to learn more and apply.

BES Grants