Lower-secondary pupils’ expression of competence in an out-of-school activity on climate change-related risk of flooding – the case of Riskville

Science education on climate change typically focuses on the greenhouse effect as a physical phenomenon and how students can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, students also need to understand how climate change influences the local risk of natural hazards, and how society can adapt to such risk. 150 grade 8-9 pupils were invited to an out-of-school event at Karlstad University in Sweden on the topic of local risk of flooding. Video data have been recorded of pupils’ interaction with one of the activities, Riskville. The data analysis focuses on how one group of pupils expressed competence in relation to flooding as a natural hazard, which is contrasted with other groups that engaged with the activity to a lesser extent. The results show that the pupils who expressed competence could identify locations that are vulnerable to flooding, express empathy with affected people, and come up with suitable ways to prevent flooding or deal with the consequences of flooding. The less engaged pupils built towers of building blocks as a protest against the task. The study demonstrates that a competence-oriented approach can contribute to a more holistic understanding of climate change by connecting to students’ personal experiences and local contexts.