Global warning? Never heard of it...

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this Minor Field study is to illuminate the South African learners’ understanding of global warming and how the learners’ context affects his/her knowledge.

Central questions in this study are: - How is the acquisition of scientific knowledge formed in the learners’ understanding? - What is causing the misconceptions of scientific knowledge? - What do the learners know about the greenhouse effect and global warming?

Method

South Africa has a rich diversity of cultures and people, which gives us the possibility to investigate how the context is affecting the learners’ understanding. To carry out this study we have used a triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative methods. According to the natural science approach we used a questionnaire as a quantitative way to measure the learners’ scientific knowledge. To get into the context and to analyze that knowledge, we used the qualitative methods of observations and interviews. This enabled us to get into the aim of this study in more than one perspective.

We chose to write our study in English to be able to report the infomation back to our informants.

Results

Misconceptions concerning carbon dioxide, the greenhouse effect and global warming are many and are spread among the learners in our study. Many learners state that the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher than the correct one. We can also see confusion in their conceptions of the effects of ozone holes and climate change. An explanation to these answers can be the “popularity” of carbon dioxide. In all schools, both teachers and learners described global warming as a current issue that is discussed in media and by politicians.

The process of learning in South Africa is affected by the social circumstances where different perspectives and opinions meet. This interaction is imprinted by the existing knowledge base, which is linked to a specific time, place and history. We illuminate the relationship between learning, knowledge and context. By elucidating potential, opportunity and precondition we get a better understanding of how these factors affect the learners’ learning process.