Integration of Climate Change Education in the National Curriculum of The Gambia

Abstract

The study was conducted to integrate climate change education in the school curriculum of The Gambia. It included a curriculum audit of two subject areas, Social and Environmental Science (SES) and General Science, in the Upper Basic School. Research questions were developed and answered by the study. Quantitative research method was the approach employed for the study.. A 14-item structured questionnaire was developed and used for data collection. Weighted mean was used to answer the research questions while standard deviation was used to validate the mean. To answer the research questions, each item was assigned real limit number as follows; stronglyagree-4.50-5.00, agree-3.50-4.49, strongly disagree- 2.50-3.49, Disagree- 1.50-2.49, Don’t know- 1.00-1.49. Any item with a weighted grand mean (XG) of 3.50 and above was considered as “agree” while any item whose weighted grand mean is below 3.50 was considered as “disagree”. The standard deviation was used to determine the closeness of the respondents from the mean and to each other and otherwise. The findings revealed that there are gaps in the curriculum of the Upper Basic School respecting climate change education which should be filled based on the suggestions raised. It also revealed the necessary climate change themes for integration in the school curriculum of The Gambia. Of all the 14-items included in the questionnaire, 12-items were appropriate for teaching the theme, Meaning of climate change, 13-items for teaching Causes and Mitigation of climate change impacts, while all were appropriate for teaching climate change Impacts and Adaptation to climate change. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the mean responses of educators and teachers on the appropriate methods for teaching climate change topics. The study recommended that the suggestions raised in the curriculum audit and the climate change themes identified be incorporated into the school 8 curriculum. That all the items considered appropriate be used to teach climate change education after integration in the Social and Environmental Science and General Science of the Upper Basic School Curriculum, especially in The Gambia.