Exploring French Adolescents' and Adults' Comprehension of the Greenhouse Effect

The aim of the present study was to gain an insight into French young people's conceptual development regarding the greenhouse effect. Because this effect cannot be directly manipulated, we can assume that its conceptualization is mainly shaped through the sharing of information. Eighty French...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEnvironmental education research Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 378 - 405
Main Authors Frappart, Sören, Moine, Mylène, Jmel, Saïd, Megalakaki, Olga
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 04.03.2018
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Subjects
Adolescents
Adults
Age Differences
Behavior
Cognitive Development
Concept Formation
Ecology
Environmental Education
Factor Analysis
Foreign Countries
Greenhouse effect
Humanities and Social Sciences
Knowledge Level
Middle School Students
Performance enhancement
Psychology
Questionnaires
Secondary School Students
Statistical Analysis
Young adults
France
cognitive development
climate change
knowledge
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Summary:The aim of the present study was to gain an insight into French young people's conceptual development regarding the greenhouse effect. Because this effect cannot be directly manipulated, we can assume that its conceptualization is mainly shaped through the sharing of information. Eighty French students from Grade Seven through to adulthood responded to statements in a questionnaire on the greenhouse effect's causes, consequences and solutions. Unlike in previous studies, participants were asked to justify their choices, as some of the statements were quite complex. Results showed that performances improved with grade, mainly between Grade Nine and adulthood, although participants continued to have a weaker grasp of the causes of the greenhouse effect than of its consequences and solutions. Participants' justifications also showed that they misunderstood some of the statements.
ISSN:1350-4622
1469-5871
DOI:10.1080/13504622.2016.1147529