High School Students’ Knowledge and Risk Perceptions of Climate Change: The Role of an Elective Environmental Science Course

This study investigated a sample of Saudi Arabian high school students’ understanding of science concepts underlying climate change and their risk perceptions associated with the adverse impacts of climate change before and after participating in an elective environmental science course. A previously validated climate change content knowledge assessment and two Likert-scale items measuring climate change risk perception were administered to 51 eleventh- and twelfth-grade students. The results showed that students had a limited understanding of some key climate change concepts before the course, particularly regarding the greenhouse effect. However, their understanding significantly improved after completing the course, highlighting the positive impact of formal instruction on climate science literacy. Additionally, students’ risk perceptions of climate change were moderate before the course and increased significantly by the end, especially for long-term impacts. This may suggest that increased knowledge may contribute to heightened risk perception, although the relationship between the two was not statistically significant in this study. The findings underscore the importance of incorporating environmental science courses into secondary education to enhance students’ climate literacy and promote informed decision-making regarding climate change, particularly in regions like the Middle East where climate change poses significant challenges.