Climate change awareness and policy implications among primary school teachers in Kisumu City, Kenya
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Date
2014-08-28
Authors
Ochieng, Millicent
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Abstract
Climate change awareness is much needed for public support in its mitigation and adaptation. In this regard, public education is critical in raising levels of awareness on the subject. This research was designed to assess the level of climate change awareness among primary school teachers in Kisumu City. Objectives of the study were to: describe climate variability in Kisumu area during the period 1972-2011, assess teachers’ level of climate change awareness, identify factors influencing teachers’ level of awareness, determine teachers’ perception of climate change as a threat, and assess teachers’ opinion on inclusion of climate change knowledge into Kenya’s primary school curriculum. Descriptive survey design was adopted in which some 100 randomly selected respondents were drawn from 20 primary schools within Kisumu City. A structured questionnaire was administered to obtain data on teachers’ knowledge and perception as well as opinion on inclusion of climate change into Kenya’s primary school curriculum. Climate variability was described using meteorological data on temperature and precipitation from Kenya Meteorological Department (Kisumu Weather Station No. 9034025). Data was statistically analysed and results displayed in tables, graphs and charts. Results show that Kisumu area recorded significant temperature (t = 8.475, df = 38, p = 0.0001) and precipitation (t = 9.806, df = 38, p = 0.0001) variability during the period 1972-2011. Monthly average temperature increased by 0.66 ± 0.24 °C while annual precipitation amounts increased by 111.82 ± 20.8 mm during that period. Results also show that the level of climate change awareness among primary school teachers in Kisumu City is not significantly low (χ2 = 62.818, n = 89, df = 2, p = 0.0001). Teachers registered a medium level of awareness albeit gaps in their knowledge. Factors such as age (r = 0.108, p = 0.318, n = 88), gender (r = -0.110, p = 0.308, n = 88), level of education (r = 0.149, p = 0.168, n = 87) and school location (r = 0.138, p = 0.201, n = 88) emerged influential on teachers’ level of awareness though their influence remained statistically weak and insignificant. Results further show that primary school teachers in Kisumu City perceive climate change as a threat (χ2 = 63.202, n = 89, df = 1, p = 0.0001) and support its inclusion into Kenya’s primary school curriculum (χ2 = 176.25, n = 96, df = 3, p = 0.0001). Key recommendations included: the Ministry of Education should undertake climate change capacity building among teachers through organising climate change workshops for teachers and circulating materials on climate change to primary school; and curriculum developers should work with teachers during revision of the primary school syllabus to ensure that climate change knowledge developed for primary schools is not only simple but is also one that teachers can comfortably deliver
Description
Master of Environmental Studies (climate change and sustainability)105p. June, 2014, QC 983 .O34