Geography education and climate change awareness among secondary school teachers and learners in Tubah Subdivision, Cameroon

Abstract

By integrating physical and human environmental processes, Geography education is increasingly recognised as an important vehicle for climate literacy. However, evidence on its contribution to climate change awareness and adaptation-oriented learning at school level remains limited. This study examines how Geography teachers and learners in secondary schools in Tubah Subdivision, Cameroon, perceive the contribution of Geography education to climate change awareness. Structured questionnaires were administered to 68 Geography teachers and 150 learners in five secondary schools, supported by semi-structured interviews with five teachers. All teachers (100%, n=68) reported that climate change topics were included in the Geography curriculum, while 81% reported high confidence in teaching them. Teaching experience was significantly associated with teaching confidence. Amongst learners, 92% reported observing local climate-related changes, and 79% identified Geography as their primary source of climate information. These findings indicate that Geography education is an important source of climate change knowledge and adaptation-oriented learning among secondaryschool teachers and learners. However, constraints on climate-change education relate to teaching pedagogy, differences in school resources, and limited opportunities for fieldbased learning.