Impact of Climate Change Education on Public Perception and Behavior in Tanzania
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ajes.2176Keywords:
Climate Change, Education, Public Perception, BehaviorAbstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of climate change education on public perception and behavior in Tanzania.
Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
Findings: The study indicated that climate change education significantly impacts public perception and behavior towards environmental issues. Educational programs focusing on climate change awareness increase individuals' understanding of the science behind climate change, its causes, and potential solutions. This knowledge often translates into heightened concern and a sense of urgency, prompting more proactive behaviors such as reducing personal carbon footprints, advocating for policy changes, and supporting sustainable practices. Additionally, integrating climate change education into school curricula has shown to empower younger generations, fostering a culture of environmental stewardship from an early age. Consequently, well-informed individuals are more likely to participate in community initiatives, support renewable energy projects, and engage in political activism aimed at mitigating climate change effects. Overall, effective climate change education plays a crucial role in shifting public perception towards acknowledging the seriousness of the issue and adopting behaviors that contribute to environmental sustainability.
Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Theory of planned behavior (TPB), cognitive dissonance theory and social learning theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the impact of climate change education on public perception and behavior in Tanzania. In practice, integrating diverse educational approaches is essential to maximizing the impact of climate change education on public perception and behavior. Informed policy formulation is critical for maximizing the impact of climate change education at scale. Policymakers should prioritize evidence-based approaches by leveraging robust research findings to design effective educational strategies and initiatives.
Downloads
References
Agrawal, S., & Singh, S. (2018). Climate change awareness among urban population of India: A study from the perspective of environmental psychology. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 55, 23-31. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.01.002
Ahmed, R., & Rahman, S. (2021). Community-based climate change education in rural Bangladesh: Enhancing adaptive capacities. Climatic Change, 167(1-2), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-03143-9
Ajzen, I. (2018). Theory of Planned Behavior. In H. S. Friedman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Mental Health (Second Edition), 306-308. Elsevier. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.24435-5
Bandura, A. (2020). Social learning theory. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition), 331-335. Elsevier. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.54015-0
Brown, K., & Miller, M. (2022). Peer-to-peer education for climate change awareness in universities: Impact on student behaviors. Environmental Education Research, 28(2), 269-285. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2020.1866148
Cohen, M. (2020). The impact of public awareness campaigns on climate change behaviors in urban areas. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 72, 101508. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101508
Festinger, L. (2019). Cognitive dissonance. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition), 388-391. Elsevier. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.64005-3
Garcia, C., & Lopez, D. (2019). Community-led climate change awareness campaigns: Impact on urban public perception and behaviors. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 63, 26-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.05.006
Gifford, R. (2019). The dragons of inaction: Psychological barriers that limit climate change mitigation and adaptation. American Psychologist, 74(6), 663-673. DOI: 10.1037/amp0000442
Hermawan, R., Santosa, P. B., Subarsono, L. W., & Fajarwati, T. (2021). Assessing community-based adaptation to climate change in Indonesia. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 54, 102006. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102006
Ipsos MORI. (2021). Climate change concerns reach record high. Ipsos MORI. Retrieved from https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/climate-change-concerns-reach-record-high
Jones, E., & Smith, G. (2019). National climate change education programs and public support for policy interventions: A survey-based study. Global Environmental Change, 56, 109-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.03.001
Kariuki, J. G., Ndiritu, S. W., & Ngigi, M. W. (2020). Perceptions and responses to climate change among smallholder farmers in Murang’a County, Kenya. Journal of Environmental Management, 260, 110105. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110105
Lee, S., & Park, J. (2018). Workplace climate change training and employee behaviors: A study in corporate sustainability. Journal of Business Ethics, 149(3), 677-691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3044-8
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., & Rosenthal, S. (2020). Climate change in the American mind: April 2020. Yale University and George Mason University. Retrieved from https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-april-2020/
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., & Rosenthal, S. (2020). Climate change in the American mind: April 2020. Yale University and George Mason University. Retrieved from https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-april-2020/
Musango, J. K., Brent, A. C., & Green, J. M. (2020). Urban climate change perception and response: A Johannesburg case study. Sustainable Cities and Society, 54, 101967. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2019.101967
Nguyen, H. T., Nguyen, T. L. H., Nguyen, T. K. O., & Vu, Q. H. (2020). Public perception and attitudes towards climate change: A case study in Vietnam. Environmental Development, 33, 100509. DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100509
Nguyen, H., & Tran, L. (2020). Digital media campaigns for climate change education among millennials: A mixed-methods study. Computers in Human Behavior, 102, 90-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.08.019
Oyinlola, M. A. (2019). Climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies of rural farm households in Nigeria. Environmental Development, 31, 72-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2019.02.002
Sanches, G. M., de Oliveira, T. F., & Ribeiro, C. A. A. S. (2019). Public perception and environmental awareness in urban centers: The case of Brazil. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 9(4), 618-628. DOI: 10.1007/s13412-019-00568-1
Sarkki, S. (2018). Climate change education in formal education settings: A comprehensive review of empirical research. Environmental Education Research, 24(5), 651-668. DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2017.1398897
Smith, A., & Johnson, B. (2021). Evaluating the effectiveness of school-based climate change education: A longitudinal study. Environmental Education Research, 27(3), 419-434. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2020.1781276
Yuan, L., & Zuo, J. (2021). Climate change perception and behavior in urban China: A survey of residents in Hangzhou. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 13(4), 603-619. DOI: 10.1108/IJCCSM-04-2020-0085
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Javian Misingi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
