The application of bicycle model in climate change education: An action research

The primary aim of this study is to identify the cognitive structures and awareness levels of 5th-grade students and their parents regarding global warming and climate change. At the core of the study lies the implementation of the Bicycle Model, a recently prominent approach in climate change education. Within the scope of the research, the intergenerational transfer of learning from students to parents was examined, and changes in parents' cognitive structures related to global warming and climate change, as well as their awareness levels, were determined. Additionally, the effects of activities conducted in line with the Bicycle Model on students' willingness to take action against climate change were evaluated, and both student and parent opinions regarding the implementation were collected. The study was designed as an action research project, one of the qualitative research methods, and was carried out during the 2023–2024 academic year with 40 fifth-grade students enrolled in a public middle school in Denizli, along with their parents. Five distinct student and teacher modules were developed in accordance with the Bicycle Model, which provides a holistic perspective on climate change education, and these modules were implemented over a 20-week period. Adopting a data triangulation approach, both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered. Qualitative data sources included student and parent global warming-climate change word association tests, interview forms, student products, researcher field notes, the researcher's diary, and a form assessing students' willingness to take action. For quantitative data collection, a climate change literacy scale was administered to students, while a climate change awareness scale and a student observation form were administered to parents. The findings revealed that the modules developed based on the Bicycle Model strengthened students' cognitive structures regarding global warming and climate change, enhanced their climate awareness, and positively influenced their motivation to take action. Furthermore, the intergenerational transfer process from students to parents led to improved parental cognitive structures and increased awareness levels concerning these concepts. Both students and parents expressed positive opinions about the implementation, and parents emphasized the need for similar climate change education practices to continue at higher grade levels.