Abstract |
This dissertation presents an attempt to integrate the issues of climate change and children's rights into the Greek primary school curriculum with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The general aim of the dissertation is to explore the views, knowledge and actions of learners on children's rights and climate change, as well as to provide opportunities to take action and get them involved in an attempt to address the climate change phenomenon and its effects on children’s rights with the support of a web-based learning environment (WBLE).
The dissertation attempts to investigate the climate change phenomenon, the concept of children's rights and the way they are affected by the impacts of climate change. It also describes the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals associated with climate change education and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Then, the learning theories adopted (which are based on the ExConTra learning paradigm) are analysed as well as the use of ICTs as cognitive learning tools and the curriculum design theories. We chose to design an open, theme-based, interdisciplinary, integrated curriculum on climate change and children’s rights with the use of a WBLE, designed with Drupal and Flash.
According to the results of the research application of the WBLE through research-based teaching interventions into five primary schools and nine sections (fifth and sixth grade), we analyse the extent to which the aim and the objective of the research, as expressed through the research questions, have been achieved. Finally, it should be noted that teachers of the sections, who participated in the research, had the role of the co-researcher: they were our partners in the collection of the research material and applied the research and teaching interventions in their classes, not only with the help of the researcher but also independently.
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