Assessment of environmental education and knowledge of climate change mitigation

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NHA TRANG UNIVERSITY _ SWALEH ALI ABOUD ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION: A CASE STUDY OF KENYAN COASTAL COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEM MASTER THESIS KHANH HOA – 2018 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NHA TRANG UNIVERSITY _ SWALEH ALI ABOUD ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION: A CASE STUDY OF KENYAN COASTAL COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEM MASTER THESIS Code: Marine Ecosystem Based Management and Climate Change 58CH158 Topic allocation Decision 1006/QD-DHNT Decision on establishing the Committee: Defense date: Supervisors: 6th June 2018 Major: PROF CURTIS M JOLLY DR FATUMA DAUDI Chairman: PROF NGO DANG NGHIA Faculty of Graduate Studies: Ms HOANG HA GIANG KHANH HOA – 2018 UNDERTAKING I declare that the thesis entitled Assessment of Environmental Education and Knowledge of Climate Change Mitigation: A Case of Kenyan Coastal Communities and Ecosystem is my original work The work has not been presented elsewhere for assessment until the time this thesis is submitted 14th June 2018 Swaleh Ali Aboud iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am first grateful to almighty God and his messenger Mohammad (PBUH) My sincere gratitude and profound regard to my supervisors, Prof Curtis M Jolly and Dr Fatuma Daud for their interest, guidance, encouragement, valuable suggestions and constructive discussions at every stage of this study I extend my gratitude to the NORHED program, lecturers and Nha Trang University fraternity for offering me the opportunity and humble time for the completion of my master’s degree I am further thankful to my parents, family and wife, Maryam Abubakar for their great support both spiritual and financial towards the completion of this report and the program Lastly to my friends, classmates and everybody who have contributed to this work without failing to mention my classmate John Kannah and my Vietnamese friend Van Pham known as Mia I would have not completed this without your contributions God bless you all 14th June 2018 Swaleh Ali Aboud iv TABLE OF CONTENTS UNDERTAKING iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv LIST OF ABREVIATIONS viii DEFINITIONS OF TERMS ix LIST OF EQUATIONS x LIST OF TABLES xi LIST OF FIGURES xii LIST OF GRAPHS xiii LIST OF APPENDICES xiv ABSTRACT xv CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Information 1.2 Statement of the Problem 1.3 Rationale of the Study 1.4 Significance of the Study 1.5 Research Objective 1.6 Research Questions 1.7 Research Hypothesis CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Impact and Vulnerability of Kenya Coast to Climate Change 2.2 Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change in Kenyan coastal zones 2.3 Public Climate Change Awareness and Perception 10 2.4 Role of Environmental Education in Creating Awareness on Climate Change 11 v 2.5 Climate Change Education in Kenya’s School Curriculum 12 2.6 Why climate change Sensitization in Kenyan coastal communities? 14 2.7 Climate Change Knowledge Gaps 15 2.9 Conceptual Framework 17 CHAPTER THREE 20 MATERIALS AND METHODS 20 3.1 Study areas 20 3.2 Data Collection 21 3.2.1 Climate Change knowledge and Perception 21 3.2.2 Climate change subject in the Education Curriculum 22 3.3 Sampling Approach 23 3.4 Data Analysis 24 CHAPTER FOUR 25 RESULTS 25 4.1 Socio-Demographic Information 25 4.2 School Curriculum/Syllabus 27 4.3 Climate Change Awareness and Knowledge 27 4.3.1 Climate change awareness 27 4.3.2 Climate change knowledge of causes, impacts and mitigation measures 28 4.4 Transmission of climate change information from teachers to students to parents 33 4.5 Perception on Climate Change 33 CHAPTER FIVE 37 5.1 Discussion 37 CHAPTER SIX 41 6.1 Conclusion 41 vi 6.2 Recommendations 42 6.2.1 Recommendations for Curriculum developers 42 6.2.2 Recommendations for Policy makers 42 6.2.3 Recommendations for Further research 42 REFERENCES 43 APPENDICES A vii LIST OF ABREVIATIONS UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization NCCF North Carolina Coastal Federation GoK Government of Kenya IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change NCCP National Climate Change Action Plan NGOs Non – Government Organizations UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNDP United Nations Development Programme United UNEP United Nations Environment Programme CCESD Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development KICD Kenya Institutes of Curriculum Development WCED World Commission on Environment and Development SEI Stockholm Environmental Institute WIO Western Indian Ocean NCCRS National Climate Change Response Strategy viii DEFINITIONS OF TERMS Climate Change: Changes in climate patterns outside the normal range of weather variable Climate Education: Approach of teaching and learning with the focus on climate literacy, attitudes and behavioral changes towards sustainability and its application to climate change concerns Climate change awareness: General knowledge, understanding and the ability to factor climate change into people’s activities Climate change perception: Understanding and interpreting climate change knowledge ix LIST OF EQUATIONS Equation 1: Percentage calculation of climate change content in the curriculum 23 x PART C: Personal Action and Responsibility Circle the question you think matches your present trend of thought (1=no, 2= not sure, 3=somewhat sure, 4=sure, 5=definitely sure) Climate change could affect my way of life or lifestyle if I don’t prevent it from happening 10 Climate Change have/will have a negative impact on the economy of coastal people 11 I have the information necessary in the mitigation and adaption to climate change 12 My actions reduces the effects of climate change in my area 13 I am as well informed about policies that could address climate change 14 I feel incapable of doing something about climate change 15 Government laws to reduce dependence on fossil fuels we are using now would be effective in reducing the negative impacts of climate change 16 I participated in a rally or protest in support of actions to reduce climate change 17 I have a plan to protect my family in the event of extreme impacts of climate change 18 I believe in scientific information that sea level rise will sink Mombasa by 2050 if no action is taken now 19 What obstacle or barriers that prevent you from acting against the negative impact of climate change  I lack Skills  I lack personal energy or motivation  I don’t have time  I don’t have money or resources D  I lack help from other  I feel that it won’t make a difference  I don’t believe in climate change  I believe the government will protect me  I believe the NGOs and UN will protect me PART D: Socio - demographic data No 20 a b c d e f g Question Gender - Male/Female Age in years Education Level Residential area Residential duration School (students and teachers) Source of livelihood (Parents and Teachers) answer Thank you for your time and cooperation!! E Appendix III: Detailed analysis of school curriculum Subject Direct subject(s) Indirect subject(s) Business Studies Physics Chemistry Biology - Advantage and disadvantage of each means of transport Law of conservation of energy Combustion of elements, carbon and their compounds Ecology Agriculture - History & Government - climate influence on agriculture, water conservation, management practices in crop production (climatic region), Causes and remedies of food shortage in Africa, industrialization Geography Causes and impacts Weather, effect of mining on the environment, internal and external land of climate change forming processes, Forestry, Fishing, wildlife and tourism, source, types, uses and conservation of energy and management and conservation of the environment F MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & TRAINING NHA TRANG UNIVERSITY SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence - Freedom - Happiness REPORT OF THESIS CORRECTION At the request of the thesis evaluation Committee Full name: Swaleh Ali Aboud St.code: 58CH158 Thesis title: “Assessment of Environmental Education and Knowledge of Climate Change Mitigation: A Case study of Kenyan Coastal Communities and Ecosystem” Supervisor(s): Prof Curtis M Jolly & Dr Fatuma Daudi Study Program: Marine Ecosystem Based Management and Climate Change Thesis defense date: 6th June 2018 Based on the requirements of thesis evaluation committee I would like submit the revised thesis statement as follows: Request 1: Explain your choice and way of approaching your respondents, could there be bias due to your approach? Content has been modified: In section 3.3 ‘Purposively sampling was employed in selecting students and teachers respondents Teachers were selected based on the subject analyzed in section 3.2.2 of this study Students on the hand were chosen based on the location within the village Only students who were living close to the village (7km) were selected for ease of assessing their parents for interviewing Although this approach was considered to be bias as it may have eliminated some villagers, it was important to avoid sampling people who were from other villages studied in the targeted secondary school.’ In section 5.1 ‘This includes 67% of the fathers, 52% of the mothers, 99% of the students and 99% of the teachers But, the selection of the students was biased in that only who were living about km within the village were sampled.’ Request 2: Could be low climate change coverage in secondary school curriculum be due to it already taught in primary school? Content has been modified: Elaboration was given in section 5.1: ‘This study estimated a 0.47% coverage of climate change content in the Kenya curriculum which are almost similar with the previous study's findings that established 0.53% coverage of the concept (GoK 2012a) The primary school has also been recorded to have limited content of climate change that covered the causes and impacts (GoK 2012a).’ Request 3: You discussed children knowledge sharing with parents, what about the other way – parents sharing knowledge with their children? Content has been modified: Table 4.1: Transmission of climate change information between students and their parents and teachers (n = 317) Teachers to Students (%) Students to Parents (%) Parents to Students (%) Students to Teachers (%) 78.79 23.23 18.59 12.12 Request 4: Why you say ‘tourism is climate dependent in Kenyan coast?’ Content has been modified: No modification as the evidence and the source of the statement was provided in the ‘REPORT OF ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS’ sheet Request 5: What sampling method you use in your study? Content has been modified: Discussed in request above Request 6: Explain the table 4.2 climate change concept in the secondary school curriculum Content has been modified: It was modified and currently is reading as shown below; Subject Business Studies Physics Chemistry Biology Agriculture History & Government Geography Total (100%) Direct (%) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.47 0.47 Indirect (%) 0.47 0.47 0.94 0.94 1.42 0.47 4.72 9.43 Total (100%) 0.47 0.47 0.94 0.94 1.42 0.47 5.19 9.91 Request 7: How the parents with none education can know about coastal habitat lost, coral bleaching and ocean temperature change? Content has been modified: No modification but explanation was given in the ‘REPORT OF ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS’ sheet Request: Add content Analysis in your literature Content has been modified: Subtopic 2.8 has been added in the literature review that explained content analysis The methodology was further detailed in section 3.2.2 that explained the concept MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & TRAINING NHA TRANG UNIVERSITY SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence - Freedom - Happiness REPORT OF ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS Of the thesis evaluation Committee Full name: Swaleh Ali Aboud St.code: 58CH158 Thesis title: “Assessment of Environmental Education and Knowledge of Climate Change Mitigation: A Case study of Kenyan Coastal Communities and Ecosystem” Supervisor(s): Prof Curtis M Jolly & Dr Fatuma Daudi Study Program: Marine Ecosystem Based Management and Climate Change Thesis defense date: 6th June 2018 CONTENT: Question 1: Explain your choice and way of approaching your respondents, could there be bias due to your approach? Answer: The approach used in my data collection process and its biasness was explained in page 22 of my report However, I elaborated it further in the report on the same page 22 and added a discussion of it further on page 37 Question 2: Could be low climate change coverage in secondary school curriculum be due to it already taught in primary school? Answer: I think No, because in my literature review I cited a research by Ochieng, 2014 who mentioned that primary school offered constrained climate change knowledge as from standard seven addressing the causes and impacts of climate change to human life In addition, in table 2.2 explained the exact climate change content and its main subjects covered in primary school In the government report I cited as GoK, 2012a confirmed that the climate change content in primary school curriculum is 0.36% which is less than what is covered in secondary school Question 3: You discussed children knowledge sharing with parents, what about the other way – parents sharing knowledge with their children? Answer: I responded this question during my presentation and reviewer was satisfied and requested to add the new table from my presentation to my report Question 4: Why you say ‘tourism is climate dependent in Kenyan coast?’ Answer: The statement ‘tourism is climate dependent in Kenyan coast’ did not come from me, but I cited it from Sessional Paper No of 2016 on National Climate Change Framework Policy which said that “Tourism in the Kenyan context is highly climate sensitive because of its close connection to the natural environment.” (Referenced as; Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, 2016 Climate-Change-Framework-Policy (31Nov2016), Kenya) which is available at; https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ah UKEwjglaW0MPbAhXWeisKHRwwBxYQFggkMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ke.undp.org%2Fcontent%2Fda m%2Fkenya%2Fdocs%2Fenergy_and_environment%2F2016%2FClimate-Change-FrameworkPolicy(31Nov2016).doc%3Fdownload&usg=AOvVaw3wHJHgVoouIOSc-WKSaWbe) From this statement I concluded that tourist in one way depend on climate Question 5: What are the sampling methods you know? What sampling method you use in your study? Answer: In response to the first part of the question, I know sampling methods; Random, purposive and convenient sampling In response to part of this request, I think it is answered in question above Question 6: Explain the table 4.2 climate change concept in the secondary school curriculum Answer: The values of table 4.2 were calculated using two formula as shown below The results of the first formula is represented in rows named; Direct (%) and Indirect (%) while the column named Total (%) was calculated using the second formula below % calculation; % calculation; 𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑦𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑢𝑠 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑢𝑚 𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑦𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑢𝑠 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑦𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑏𝑢𝑠 X 100………… (1) X 100………… (2) However, in considering the committee suggestion, I changed the calculation of the Total (100%) row I used the formula below; Total (100%) = Direct (%) + Indirect (%) Question 7: How the parents with none education can know about coastal habitat lost, coral bleaching and ocean temperature change? Answer: Firstly I would say that I avoided use the term ‘none educated’ parents Instead I used ‘ did not attend primary education.’ This means that they may have other type of education which was not captured by this study Secondly, in section 3.1 of the report I discussed the impacts of climate change per each study site Out of study site of them bear recorded evidence of coral bleaching This may be one of the reason that make them learn about coral bleaching In addition, in the significance of the study section 1.4, I mentioned that the government of Kenya is spending a lot of money to create awareness of climate change This campaigns that include women may be among the reason that alerted them Also, in Gazi and Shimoni study site, there are many program and community project that focus in educating the people to understand their marine resources SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence – Freedom – Happiness THESIS EVALUATION FORM - Thesis title: Assessment of environmental education and knowledge of climate change mitigation: A case of Kenyan coastal communities and ecosystem - Major: Master of Marine Ecosystem based Management and Climate Change - Code: 58CH158 - Student: Swaleh Ali Aboud - Supervisor: Curtis Jolly and Fatuma Daud - Training Insitution: Nha Trang University - Reviewer: Claire Armstrong - Position in the Evaluation Committee: Reviewer - Workplace: UiT CONTENTS I EVALUATION: Thesis Format: The thesis meets the requirements for format of master thesis, and has the scientific style required The language is for the most part good (but would benefit from a bit more work towards the end of the thesis), and the thesis is clear, coherent and well formulated and proportioned Citations meet the requirements for the format and arrangement of the master’s thesis Thesis Contents: Research issues are presented clearly and are significant to science and practice The research objectives are clear and feasible The literature review is thorough as regards the circumstances and scientific thought regarding the topic, but could also perhaps include some reference to for instance method literature on content analysis, and any other relevant method applied Also be wary of making brash statements initially See for instance p17: “There is still a low level of awareness of climate change knowledge regardless of the effort put in place to educate the people”, where you reference an almost ten year old report And this issue is after all one of the aspects you are studying in the thesis, so it seems a bit strange to make this statement initially The theoretical basis could be briefly expanded upon, explaining the social science, or more specific approach taken The research methodology is appropriate and for the most part accurately described, but content analysis could be described more The research results seem for the most part reliable, and answer the questions posed, though it is not always clear that the conclusions drawn emanate from the analysis done The discussion is solid and the conclusions seem for the most part acceptable Some reference to critical aspects in relation to choices made in the analysis would be good (to show one is aware of potential limitations in the research) For instance some more qualification of the approach used, both as regards reaching respondents and the method applied, and how it may have impacted on the results would be useful Some specific comments; - For someone not familiar with the Kenyan school system, the table 2.2 is a bit confusing What is primary school doing in the table, and what is the third column describing? - Table 4.2 is unclear, and needs more explanation (and perhaps correction?) - Figure 4.4-4.6 give a glancing impression of more similarities between parents and students and between teachers and students The potential transfer from parent to children is not given much attention The comments above are suggestions to improve the thesis II CONCLUSION: I grade the thesis to be very good in accordance with the regulations for master’s thesis evaluation of Nha Trang University June 2018 Reviewer Claire Armstrong ...MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NHA TRANG UNIVERSITY _ SWALEH ALI ABOUD ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION: A CASE STUDY OF KENYAN... 4.3 Climate Change Awareness and Knowledge 27 4.3.1 Climate change awareness 27 4.3.2 Climate change knowledge of causes, impacts and mitigation measures 28 4.4 Transmission of climate. .. climate change into people’s activities Climate change perception: Understanding and interpreting climate change knowledge ix LIST OF EQUATIONS Equation 1: Percentage calculation of climate change