Using Social-Emotional Learning Strategies to Impact Undergraduate Students’ Cognitive and Affective Engagement with Climate Change

Climate change is a defining issue of our time. As future leaders and decision-makers, undergraduate students need a solid grasp of this issue. However, traditional educational approaches in science courses often focus on climate change content but neglect the emotional engagement that can drive meaningful action. Such neglect can be particularly damaging when the topic is emotionally charged. Integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into an undergraduate science course may offer a more compatible approach when teaching about this topic. This action research study explored how to positively impact undergraduates’ cognitive and affective engagement with climate change. The action plan was to incorporate SEL into an environmental science course. The overarching research question was, ‘How does incorporating SEL into a climate change module impact students’ cognitive and affective engagement?’. The findings revealed that integrating SEL into climate change education did enhance the student’s understanding, emotional connection, and empathy. Students reported deeper comprehension, greater personal relevance, and stronger motivation to learn about and act on climate issues. Furthermore, combining SEL strategies with academic content fostered engagement and retention. The significance of this study lies in its potential to contribute to the ongoing discourse on effective teaching practices for climate change education.