Climate change literacy among primary school teachers and pupils in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined climate change literacy among primary school teachers and pupils in Ilorin metropolis, North-Central Nigeria. Using random sampling, 10 schools were selected across Ilorin metropolis (4 in Ilorin West, 3 each in Ilorin East and Ilorin South Local Government Areas). A total of 100 teachers were assessed through a structured questionnaire that focused on awareness, causes, effects and mitigation strategies of climate change. Additionally, a specially designed climate change curriculum was implemented for pupils (n=206) for about six months, with pre-test and post-test evaluations to measure its impact. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including mean, standard deviation, t-tests, and Pearson Products Moment Correlation (PPMC). The results showed that 94% of teachers acknowledged the reality of climate change, with 88% recognizing its current impacts. However, knowledge gaps were evident—only 71% of teachers identified deforestation as a cause of climate change, while 82% understood the role of burning fossil fuels. While 80% of teachers supported tree planting as a mitigation strategy, only 47% saw reducing deforestation as an effective solution. Furthermore, an independent samples test revealed no significant differences between male and female teachers on awareness (= 0.453), knowledge of causes (p = 0.542), effects (p = 0.603), and mitigation strategies (p = 0.512) of climate change, indicating that gender did not significantly influence teachers' climate literacy. Among pupils, the curriculum implementation resulted in a significant improvement in climate change literacy, with average test scores increasing from 55.8% (pre-test) to 73.7% (post-test). The correlation between students’ age and pre-test scores was 0.12, 0.25 for age and post-test scores and 0.06 between pre-test and post-test scores, indicating a weak relationship between age and performance, thus showing that the intervention was beneficial across all age groups. These findings highlight the need for better teacher training and emphasize the importance of incorporating climate change education into primary school curricula.