SStt.. JJoohhnn FFiisshheerr UUnniivveerrssiittyy FFiisshheerr DDiiggiittaall PPuubblliiccaattiioonnss Education Doctoral Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education 8-2014 FFaacciinngg tthhee CCoonnttrroovveerrssyy:: AA GGrroouunnddeedd TThheeoorryy SSttuuddyy ooff HHooww TTeeaacchheerrss PPllaann ttoo AAddddrreessss CClliimmaattee CChhaannggee iinn TThheeiirr CCllaassssrroooommss Thomas J. Frankie St. John Fisher University Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/education_etd Part of the Education Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited you? RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn Frankie, Thomas J., "Facing the Controversy: A Grounded Theory Study of How Teachers Plan to Address Climate Change in Their Classrooms" (2014). Education Doctoral. Paper 191. Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations. This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/education_etd/191 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at . For more information, please contact [email protected]. FFaacciinngg tthhee CCoonnttrroovveerrssyy:: AA GGrroouunnddeedd TThheeoorryy SSttuuddyy ooff HHooww TTeeaacchheerrss PPllaann ttoo AAddddrreessss CClliimmaattee CChhaannggee iinn TThheeiirr CCllaassssrroooommss AAbbssttrraacctt Climate change is a subject steeped in controversy. Addressing it in the classroom causes much anxiety for teachers as they struggle with how to teach it. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to uncover the information teachers deem most important to communicate to their students about climate change and the pedagogical strategies they plan to employ in doing so. This study analyzed the responses of 123 teachers who successfully completed an online climate change course. Each teacher provided qualitative data in the form of a response to a course assignment. Analysis of those responses revealed that teachers saw the paucity of vetted lesson plans and lack of time for planning and instruction as the greatest obstacles to effectively teaching about climate change. Few saw denialist opposition from parents as a significant obstacle. The abilities to draw a distinction between climate and weather, to explain carbon dioxide's role as a greenhouse gas, and to address the historical context of past climate change events were shared as critical information for students to master. However, the data revealed teachers are more likely to concentrate on creating a general awareness of climate change and its consequences than they are addressing any specific scientific content. It appears teachers would benefit from rigorous, content-based climate science courses that specifically target climate change misconceptions and that scientists should strive to make their work more accessible to teachers and the general public. DDooccuummeenntt TTyyppee Dissertation DDeeggrreeee NNaammee Doctor of Education (EdD) DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt Executive Leadership FFiirrsstt SSuuppeerrvviissoorr Ronald Valenti SSuubbjjeecctt CCaatteeggoorriieess Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/education_etd/191 Facing the Controversy: A Grounded Theory Study of How Teachers Plan to Address Climate Change in Their Classrooms By Thomas J. Frankie Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Ed.D. in Executive Leadership Supervised by Dr. Ronald Valenti Committee Member Dr. Christine Casey Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education St. John Fisher College August 2014 Copyright by Thomas J. Frankie 2014 Dedication This work is dedicated to my beautiful bride, Sara, whose love, support, and patience knows no bounds. She is my inspiration, and took on the burden of managing our three children solo too many times to mention. Words cannot express the gratitude and love I have for her. I would also like to thank my three children, Jackson, Nolan, and Charlotte, for understanding when dad was grumpy, when he missed baseball games, bath and story time, or was just too busy to watch videos. I owe a lot to my in-laws, David and Carol Morse, for always treating me like a son. The financial support they provided made this journey possible, and the encouragement they continue to provide is priceless. Likewise, I would like to thank my parents, Tom and Gerrie Frankie, who always provide never-ending support and encouragement. They made me the person I am, and I garnered a strength from them that guided me through the toughest times of this process. I would like to express my deepest thanks and appreciation to my dissertation committee chairperson, Dr. Christine Casey, and my dissertation Chair Dr. Ronald Valenti. You have left an immeasurable impact on me as a scholar, a leader, and a person. Thank you for being such wonderful mentors. Thanks to Robyn Charlton for being my Executive Mentor, the entire Education Department staff at the Bronx Zoo for providing me the forum for my iii research, and to all the people at St. John Fisher College who provided the guidance and tools I needed to manage the dissertation process. Thank you to all my professors. I learned a great deal about leadership and life from you all. Finally, thank you to my dissertation team, the Checkmates, and all my St. John Fisher Cohort 4 colleagues. Our time together shaped me in ways I never expected. Thank you for sharing your hearts, minds, and experiences. Without colleagues like you to share the burden, the process would not have been manageable. iv Biographical Sketch Thomas Frankie is the Chief Operating Officer at Think to Lead LLC, a leadership consulting firm located in Westchester County, NY. Mr. Frankie works with dozens of major corporations, foundations, educational institutions, not-for- profits and individuals to help clarify goals and devise a blueprint to achieve them. Tom is also a former Coordinator of Teacher Professional Development at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Based at the Bronx Zoo, Tom created nationally recognized, award-winning curricula for over 15 years. Tom also has a broad set of experiences stemming from his work as an adjunct faculty member at several New York area universities, an editor for ABC Sports, and as a volunteer firefighter. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996 and his Master of Arts in Teaching degree in 2000, both from Fordham University. Tom began his doctoral studies in the St. John Fisher College Ed.D. Program in Executive Leadership at the College of New Rochelle in 2012. His research on how teachers plan to address climate change in their classrooms was supervised by Dr. Ronald Valenti and Dr. Christine Casey. Mr. Frankie received the Ed.D. degree in 2014. v Abstract Climate change is a subject steeped in controversy. Addressing it in the classroom causes much anxiety for teachers as they struggle with how to teach it. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to uncover the information teachers deem most important to communicate to their students about climate change and the pedagogical strategies they plan to employ in doing so. This study analyzed the responses of 123 teachers who successfully completed an online climate change course. Each teacher provided qualitative data in the form of a response to a course assignment. Analysis of those responses revealed that teachers saw the paucity of vetted lesson plans and lack of time for planning and instruction as the greatest obstacles to effectively teaching about climate change. Few saw denialist opposition from parents as a significant obstacle. The abilities to draw a distinction between climate and weather, to explain carbon dioxide's role as a greenhouse gas, and to address the historical context of past climate change events were shared as critical information for students to master. However, the data revealed teachers are more likely to concentrate on creating a general awareness of climate change and its consequences than they are addressing any specific scientific content. It appears teachers would benefit from rigorous, content-based climate science courses that specifically target climate change misconceptions and that scientists should strive to make their work more accessible to teachers and the general public. vi Table of Contents Dedication .................................................................................................................... iii Biographical Sketch ...................................................................................................... v Abstract ........................................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................ x List of Figures .............................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Problem Statement .................................................................................................... 2 Theoretical Rationale ................................................................................................ 4 Statement of Purpose .............................................................................................. 13 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 14 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................ 14 Definition of Terms................................................................................................. 15 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature ............................................................................ 18 Introduction and Purpose ........................................................................................ 18 Review of the Literature ......................................................................................... 19 vii Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 3: Research Design Methodology ................................................................. 40 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 40 Research Context .................................................................................................... 41 Research Participants .............................................................................................. 43 Data Collection Instruments ................................................................................... 48 Procedures for Data Collection and Analysis ......................................................... 50 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 52 Chapter 4: Results ....................................................................................................... 54 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 54 Data Analysis and Findings .................................................................................... 55 Summary of Results ................................................................................................ 77 Chapter 5: Discussion ................................................................................................. 78 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 78 Implications of the Findings ................................................................................... 79 Limitations .............................................................................................................. 89 Recommendations ................................................................................................... 90 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 94 viii