SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE: IMPLICATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Abstract

Addressing climate change (CC) requires not only political and technological actions but also the development of scientific knowledge that influences individual and collective behavior. This study investigated the level of scientific understanding of CC among 792 final-year elementary school students from 15 public schools in eight municipalities in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. A survey was conducted, including sociodemographic questions and eight statements classified as true or false by participants. Psychometric analyses were applied, including item difficulty, discrimination index, point-biserial correlation, t-test for extreme groups, and Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA). The results of the psychometric analyses revealed moderate mastery permeated with uncertainties in both the factual and conceptual dimensions of topics such as the greenhouse effect and photosynthesis, in addition to weaknesses in the understanding of concepts such as climate and greenhouse gases. High agreement with incorrect statements indicated persistent misconceptions. Most items showed satisfactory discriminative power, although internal consistency was low. No significant associations were found between performance and variables such as gender, age, location, or family income. The findings highlight the challenge of promoting contextualized and meaningful scientific literacy capable of fostering not only conceptual understanding but also critical thinking and student engagement in pursuit of climate justice and environmental awareness.