Bitesize Research: Impact Of Pollution On Learning

By Jaya Carrier

I hope you’re all having a good week so far - we’re so nearly at the end of term! Sustainability and climate change is an urgent priority for our world, and we know that this is being reflected in UK education policy - see here for the DfE document published in 2022. At WA, we’re looking to make sure we’re on the front foot with this, and we’ve collaborated with the IoE Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability since its inception, and we’re now part of their network of schools. Divisha has also published some great work on our blog around this theme - see here. 

As such, following a long standing and established correlation between pollution and poor health, I was interested to see the following article about how pollution may also impact learning as reported by TES. 

Objectives: To understand the possible impact of pollution on learning.

Summary: 

• There have been clear and established links between air pollution and physical health for a long time.

• One particular academic at the University of Warwick has been looking at the correlation between air pollution and student attendance. She notes that there is increasing evidence to point to a correlation between student absences and rising pollution levels.

• Another study from the US in 2020, found that after a ‘red air day’ (where ambient or outdoor air quality levels were deemed to be unhealthy) that school absences tended to double the next day.

• Other early indications from studies around the world tentatively suggest that air pollution impacts the working memory, behaviour, attention and academic outcomes of pupils of all ages.

• Further studies on exactly how air pollution particulates impact brain function are being proposed to see exactly what mechanisms are interrupted and therefore how we may best combat this. 

  
  

How does this impact me and my practice?: Some reflections arising from this that might be helpful to consider are: 

• How am I incorporating ideas about climate change, pollution and sustainability into my lessons and conversations with students?

• How could you spend time in finding out about students' living conditions and suggest actions they could to help their exposure, such as nurturing house plants? 

• What do I need to know to move forward with understanding this and incorporating this into my practice?

 

Please do get in touch if you would like to talk further about this - I’d love to hear from you!

Bitesize Research: Sustainability & Climate Change In Secondary Schools

By Jaya Carrier

Welcome back - I hope everyone had a lovely Easter break, and that you’re having a good first week back. 

This week’s bitesize is a little bit different and I’m using it to highlight a really exciting research project that we at WA are taking part in. One of the most pressing global issues facing us and our students is climate change and sustainability. In light of this, we were delighted to be approached by the new Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability at the Institute of Education to take part in their research into how this issue is embedded into schools and education.

For this work, researchers from this centre will be coming into WA for two days in May to speak to our staff, to look at our current approaches to this issue, and to support us with devising future initiatives. 

Objectives:

To examine how climate change and sustainability are approached by schools in the UK currently, and then to devise and disseminate best practices on how to educate about these issues going forward

Summary: 

• The new Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability is reporting that a significant proportion of teachers feel underprepared to teach about climate change and sustainability.
• They acknowledge that effective education on this issue may also require a change in values education, careers education as well as better knowledge. They also acknowledge that this work is likely to be cross-disciplinary to be most effective. 
• They are looking to work with teachers across the UK to develop their work in tandem with teachers.
• The need for better support for teachers is also acknowledged in the Department for Education’s recent Climate and Sustainability Education draft strategy 

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are: 

 

• What is the value of climate change and sustainability education?
• What am I currently doing to promote sustainability to my students?
• What would I like to do to support sustainability and climate change education?

 

If you would like to discuss this further with me or if you’d like to take part in some of this research - please let me know! I’d be delighted to hear from you!