Knowledge about the Greenhouse Effect and the Effects of the Ozone Layer among Norwegian Pupils Finishing Compulsory Education in 1989, 1993, and 2005—What Now?

Abstract

Knowledge about the greenhouse effect and the effects of the ozone layer among Norwegian pupils finishing compulsory education in 1989, 1993 and 2005 -What now? AbstractThe greenhouse effect and the effects of the ozone layer have been in the media and public focus for more than two decades. During the same period, Norwegian compulsory schools have had four national curricula. The two last-mentioned prescribes explicitly the two topics. Media and public discourse might have been sources of information causing informal learning among pupils. The point of departure for this questionnaire based examination of the development of pupils" knowledge about the greenhouse effect and the effects of the ozone layer from 1989 to 2005 is the changing curricula and formal and informal learning. In 2005 the trends seem to be that more pupils confuse the greenhouse effect with the effects of the ozone layer. At the same time, specific knowledge about the greenhouse effect is improving. This article will discuss some possible causes for these trends, and give some recommendations for teaching the topics in accordance with the last national curriculum implemented in 2006.

What Do You Know about Alternative Energy? Development and Use of a Diagnostic Instrument for Upper Secondary School Science

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Turkish Primary Science Teacher Candidates’ Understandings of Global Warming and Ozone Layer Depletion

“…That radiation is trapped by certain atmospheric gases, which severely changes the climate, melts the polar icecaps, and raises the sea level. Hansen (2010) examined the development of pupils' knowledge about the greenhouse effect and the effects of the ozone layer from 1989 to 2005 in Norway. He argued that there is an increase in the number of pupils that confuse the greenhouse effect with the effects of the ozone layer in comparison with previous years.…”

Using intervention-oriented evaluation to diagnose and correct students’ persistent climate change misconceptions: A Singapore case study

“…In addition, the misconceptions detected reflected to a great extent common confusions indicated in the international literature. Such include the confusion of the greenhouse effect with ozone layer depletion (Hansen, 2010;Lee, Lester, Ma, Lambert, & Jean-Baptiste, 2007;Ö sterlind, 2005;Rebich & Gautier, 2005), the types and properties of greenhouse gases and the misunderstanding of the source, type and nature of the heat that is trapped (Boon, 2010;Gautier, Deutsch, & Rebich, 2006;Hansen, 2010;Mower, 2012;Ö sterlind, 2005;Punter, Ochando-Pardo, & Garcia, 2011;Rebich & Gautier, 2005;Shepardson, Niyogi, Choi, & Charusombat, 2009). Confusions as to effects and management of the phenomenon are also prevalent.…”