Search the EPA Research Database

Project title

The Next Generation Calls to Action: Exploring Adolescents' Climate Change Attitudes, Knowledge and Actions

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Dublin City University (DCU)

Lead Applicant

Ashling Bourke

Project Abstract

The aim of the project is to address a critical research gap on climate change attitudes formation, knowledge development, and action in adolescence. Adolescence is a critical period for political and social attitude formation, and a time when many individuals become involved with climate action. Adolescence is also a period when social agents, such as peers and social media, have significant influence. However, despite the importance of adolescence in this context, there is very little robust longitudinal research conducted on this group. This project will establish a comprehensive knowledge base on the prevalence and inter-relationships between climate change attitudes, knowledge and action, and the influence of socialising agents, such as the family, peers and school, and social media in the formation of attitudes, development of knowledge, and engagement with climate action. We will employ a participative, mixed methods approach to explore these variables. This will include; 1. A multi-component life-course qualitative approach with twenty adolescents in Ireland (aged 15 to 17 years). This will explore turning point in the adolescent’s life the impacted on their attitudes and their perceptions of social influences on such attitudes, and a reflective task imagining the future. 2. A longitudinal cohort study of adolescents at six timepoints over three years. This will involve a self-report questionnaire delivered to two groups of adolescents, one group will begin participation in the study while in their first year of post-primary school and another group while in transition year/5th year of post-primary school. The questionnaire will explore the types of attitudes, their levels of knowledge, and their engagement with climate action. 3. A citizen science project with 20 transition year in post-primary school in which they will engage with climate experts to design and conduct their own research on climate change attitudes and actions. The project will take a participative approach to the co-production of research and will include an adolescent advisory group who will advise on the project from data collection, design, and dissemination, and two adolescent research assistants who will support the data collection, analysis and dissemination. We will communicate about the project and disseminate the findings using a range of strategies, including policymakers, stakeholders (adolescents, education, youth organisations), and academics. Methods will include a half-day conference, teacher CPD, social media engagement, video resources, a research report, a policy brief and infographic research explainer. Our adolescent advisory group and adolescent co-researchers will advise and support the development of dissemination and communication routes directly to adolescents. It is expected that this research will have a direct impact on climate policy by providing critical data, alongside the CCIM data, on the attitudes, knowledge and actions of young people, and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) policy and practice by informing on the social influences on climate change knowledge.

Grant Approved

654208.85

Research Hub

Addressing Climate Change Evidence Needs

Research Theme

Social science, citizen science and behavioural science for climate action

Start Date

11/08/2025

Initial Projected Completion Date

10/08/2029