Perceived frameworks of young people on global warming and ozone depletion

Abstract

The learner selects and transforms information, constructs hypotheses and makes decisions, relying on a cognitive structure that provides meaning and organization to experiences and allows the individual to go beyond. Quantitative data regarding concepts formed about global warming and ozone depletion was obtained through a questionnaire administered to 280 Maltese post-secondary students, who had already attended Environmental Science lessons. In depth group interviews were performed with four focus groups to elucidate underlying reasoning. Besides the presence of lacunae in their knowledge, the study revealed that students formulated their own logical, but sometimes incorrect, frameworks through which they could explain the issues. Concept maps elicited from the data show how students erroneously linked global warming to ozone depletion and stratospheric ozone to tropospheric ozone. Recommendations are made on how learners can think how an expert of that particular knowledge domain would think in that particular circumstance.