Location
Purdue University, West Lafayette
Description
The social and political landscape surrounding climate change has created unique challenges (e.g., additional stress, jeopardization of social status) for college students when discussing and advocating for environmental change. Building on existing literature by Project Information Literacy we sought to further understand the distinct ways in which Purdue students use information to communicate about climate change. Our team invited students from classes and student organizations related to climate change to take the online survey. From the survey results, we selected a small group of students to interview regarding self-reported climate change conversation involvement. Using thematic analysis, we iteratively coded and thematized the interview data to identify consistent patterns regarding communication approaches. The study suggests that participants exhibit varying degrees of willingness and comfort speaking with others, depending on the context of the conversation. Contrast in how participants felt about talking with others about climate change was prominent between academic and interpersonal settings. Participants described filling different roles and were more comfortable having conversations about climate change in academic settings, compared to private and interpersonal settings with family and friends, where students were less comfortable having these conversations and avoided them. Within the information literacy field, future research could involve looking at different demographics, such as additional universities, levels of study (ie. Graduate or Professional students), or among students within particular fields of study. Additionally, our research offers educators insight into potentially overlooked barriers and highlights the need for further research on how to encourage more proactive discussions/ student activism.
Document Type
Presentation
Keywords
Climate change communication; information literacy
SPIRaL: Challenges in Climate Change Communication among Purdue University Students
Purdue University, West Lafayette
The social and political landscape surrounding climate change has created unique challenges (e.g., additional stress, jeopardization of social status) for college students when discussing and advocating for environmental change. Building on existing literature by Project Information Literacy we sought to further understand the distinct ways in which Purdue students use information to communicate about climate change. Our team invited students from classes and student organizations related to climate change to take the online survey. From the survey results, we selected a small group of students to interview regarding self-reported climate change conversation involvement. Using thematic analysis, we iteratively coded and thematized the interview data to identify consistent patterns regarding communication approaches. The study suggests that participants exhibit varying degrees of willingness and comfort speaking with others, depending on the context of the conversation. Contrast in how participants felt about talking with others about climate change was prominent between academic and interpersonal settings. Participants described filling different roles and were more comfortable having conversations about climate change in academic settings, compared to private and interpersonal settings with family and friends, where students were less comfortable having these conversations and avoided them. Within the information literacy field, future research could involve looking at different demographics, such as additional universities, levels of study (ie. Graduate or Professional students), or among students within particular fields of study. Additionally, our research offers educators insight into potentially overlooked barriers and highlights the need for further research on how to encourage more proactive discussions/ student activism.