Adolescence (13-18 yrs)

A fundamental goal of environmental education is to establish environmental literacy in students. Though there has been extensive research on the outcomes for environmental education, there is still a lack of insight as to which curricular components make an impact with students over time. Some researchers found that practicing science, collecting data, using geospatial tools, developing models, and participating in citizen science programs can lead to students establishing longer-lasting environmental literacy, linking this work to their community and complex decision-making.

Research has shown that as American students progress through their educational journeys, their interest in science declines between elementary and middle school, which can spark a lack of interest in science in high school. Common factors include a lack of role models and mentors in science classes, low support from family and friends, a perception of science careers as difficult to attain, and unengaging science teaching methods.

Biodiversity education can be challenging for educators as biodiversity is complex and evolving with multiple definitions. Previous research indicates that personal experiences with nature can help students learn and retain environmental lessons in a more meaningful way than other teaching methods. Previous research defined the process model of meaningful understanding with five steps (building on personal experience, meaningfulness, comprehensibility, sense of learning, understanding) for students to develop science subject matter affinity through subjective and objective means.

Climate change education (CCE) is complex yet critical for future generations. A significant component of CCE includes modeling because of the many spatial and temporal challenges to conducting climate change experiments in a lab at scale. However, climate models are not always complete since many factors (e.g., future population size, technology innovations, etc.) may still be unknown or cannot be accounted for as they may happen in the future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading research consortium of climate change scientists.

In 2019, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared the globe was experiencing its sixth mass extinction and conservation action was needed. Conservation activities, such as planting trees, can empower participants and instill pro-environmental behaviors. However, there has been new insight into the pedagogy associated with stewardship. A long-standing view on stewardship activities presents humans with the power to save nature, which further divides humans and nature, as opposed to considering their inseparability.

Climate change poses the most significant threat to children by way of environmental risk factors. Toxic natural environments have begun to negatively impact the physical and mental well-being of children. A child's physical and mental health are still in the developing stages and thus are more vulnerable to the immediate adverse effects of climate change.

In March 2020, countries world-wide responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing lockdowns and strict policies to protect the health and well-being of their citizens. In-person instruction ceased, and teachers and students had to adapt to distance education and virtual technology, which were new informal learning settings. These challenges were exacerbated in education in Galápagos, Ecuador, due to the archipelago's remote location from the mainland, lack of financial and educational resources, and poor internet connectivity.

Geography, the study of the world as a natural system, provides a foundation for environmental education. Past research has suggested three factors influence student attitudes toward a school subject: the student's personal interest in the subject, their expected value of a career in the subject, and their personal aptitude and success in the subject. However, there has been little research on student attitudes toward geography. This paper set out to assess student attitudes toward the school subject of geography in Ghana.

Sustainability is a popular topic in business, politics, and education around the world. There has been an increase in environmental education and sustainability curricula in public and private schools, but some researchers question the effectiveness, implementation, and intended outcomes of the curricula. Specifically, education for sustainable development (ESD) in an internationally-recognized set of educational standards that is typically taught in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Environmental education (EE) incorporates place-based learning for students to adequately understand and create better solutions for social and ecological issues. Civic ecology specifically looks at the role of individuals, their community, the way they solve community-based environmental challenges, and how these solutions impact overall community function. Research has shown using civic ecology principles such as community engagement, environmental stewardship, and environmental management can help grow social-ecological resilience.