Read-Alouds as A Pathway to Climate Literacy: Co-Constructing Meaning in Teacher Education

Abstract

A documented systemic challenge for K–12 schools is the lack of teachers’ comfort and preparedness to help elevate learners’ environmental consciousness. Climate change underscores the urgency for research to advance teaching and learning approaches that provide learners with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to care for and act toward a greener society. While meaningful work is underway in several Faculties of Education, much more needs to be done to prepare educators to teach climate literacy. This study explores how one urban Ontario teacher education program co-constructs meaning-making among teacher candidates (TCs) during read-aloud discussions centred around climate-related picture books. The study assesses TCs’ preparedness and comfort in discussing climate-related issues and explores co-created meanings during read-aloud discussions to foster efferent and aesthetic transactions (Rosenblatt, 1978) and climate literacy engagement (Oziewicz, 2023b). The primary data analysis source was video recording footage of the read-aloud sessions, with field memos and participant response surveys serving as supplementary data. Findings demonstrate that read-alouds are an effective and accessible method to help TCs feel confident about raising awarenessof climate issues. The study highlights that promoting climate literacy requires intentionally embedding it in the curriculum and may improve climate literacy practices in Ontario, Canada, and beyond.