Does the Public Support Climate Change Education? What Americans Think Schools Should Teach About Climate Change

Climate change is a highly polarized issue in the United States. Democrats and Republicans differ substantially in how they understand the causes and consequences of climate change and in their support for many climate policies. Yet we know much less about how Americans think about the role of education. This talk will review what national surveys tell us about public opinion toward climate change education (e.g., EdNext, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, etc.) and draw especially on a decade of survey research conducted by the Center for Sustainable Futures at Teachers College. The talk will also consider why public opinion matters for what happens inside schools. Bringing together research on public opinion and educators, I will examine where Americans agree and disagree about climate change education, how those attitudes vary across social and political groups, and whether educators’ perceptions of public opinion correspond to what the public actually believes. The talk will conclude by considering what these patterns mean for efforts to expand climate change education in a politically divided society.

Oren Pizmony-Levy is an Associate Professor of International and Comparative Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Educational Policy from Tel-Aviv University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology and Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from Indiana University–Bloomington. His research examines the emergence, diffusion, and impact of global education movements. His main line of work focuses on environmental sustainability education policy and politics as reflected in the activities of international organizations, NGOs, and cities. He also studies the influence of international large-scale assessments (e.g., TIMSS and PISA) on policymaking through public discourse and public opinion.