Hope, Affect, and Emotion in EE

The Hope, Affect, and Emotion collection addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing environmental educators today: how to help learners process their emotional responses to environmental crises while maintaining engagement and hope. These summaries reveal innovative approaches like the "Hope Wheel" model for climate education and highlight the importance of "critical emotional awareness" in helping students navigate climate anxiety. The research emphasizes that effective environmental education must balance honest acknowledgment of challenges with fostering constructive hope and agency.
This study looks at how emotions affect education about environmental sustainability and climate change. The researchers found that students and teachers often experience negative emotions like fear, anxiety, and guilt when learning about these topics. They argue that education needs to address these emotions to help people cope with environmental challenges. The study suggests that teachers should use methods that help students feel they can make a difference, understand who is responsible for environmental problems, and develop hope for the future.
This article introduces a new teaching model called the "Hope Wheel" to help educators incorporate hope when teaching about climate change. The researchers developed this model to address growing concerns about climate anxiety among students. They argue that while it's important to be honest about the challenges of climate change, education should also foster hope and empower students to take action. The Hope Wheel model provides guidance for teachers on what to include, what to avoid, and important considerations when designing climate change lessons.
This theoretical paper examines why critical emotional awareness is vital in climate change education and what components it should include. It outlines five key components of CEA and emphasizes that teacher education must prepare educators to handle both the psychological and sociopolitical dimensions of climate-related emotions.
This systematic review reveals that transformative education-based pedagogical approaches that address cognitive, emotional, and action-oriented dimensions can effectively support learners in processing their emotions about climate change. This comprehensive review provides valuable guidance for educators, researchers, and policymakers working at the intersection of environmental education and mental health.
This systematic review by Pihkala examines the intersection of eco-anxiety and environmental education, analyzing both the challenges and opportunities this phenomenon presents for educators. The paper provides recommendations for educational institutions and practitioners while emphasizing the need to validate emotions without falling into purely therapeutic approaches.
Students commonly experience feelings of being overwhelmed, hopeless, anxious, angry, sad, and frustrated when engaging with ecological crises. The study emphasizes the importance of cultivating "active hope" – a combination of concern, inspiration, determination, and action. Strategies to engage, validate, support, and empower students can help them respond constructively to environmental issues.