Faith Kivivya Mboya, Jacob Kwamina Dodoo, Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro, Henri-Count Evans, Inga Grinfelde, José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra, Jasenka Gajdoš Kljusurić, João Carlos Correia Leitão, Chunlan Li, Newton R. Matandirotya, Bethwel Mutai, Gustavo J. Nagy, Thierry Razanakoto, Jame Schaefer, Goran Trbic, Roberto Ariel Abeldaño Zuñiga, Sane Pashane Zuka, Charles Galdies, Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Francisco Platas, Mittul Vahanvati, Pedi Obani, Safwatun Nida, Lucas Gabriel Zanon, Mayara Régia Sousa de Melo, Alison Glover, Roman Vakulchuk
The current study investigates the effect of climate variation education programs in civic secondary schools within Nairobi County. It attempts to assess their effectiveness in the knowledge, attitudes, development, and skills to acclimatize and mitigate the impacts of climate change, among students. In line with the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the research identifies key enablers for successful climate education to include properly structured teacher-training programs and good administrative support but deep-seated barriers, particularly severe resource shortage and lack of funding, delimit effective implementation. Schools in less economically advantaged regions face even greater constraints, like restricted access to critical teaching materials and a lack of experiential learning to add value. Some limitations also prevent students from practicing climate-relevant concepts in real-life situations. The study even indicates a significant breach between practice and theory in the presence of climate education programs. Most fail to look into such localized phenomena surrounding urbanization, deforestation, and pollution, rendering it impossible for students to link their classroom learning with environmental challenges in their surroundings. The research adopts a design of descriptive survey where quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from 280 respondents, namely, teachers, students, and school administrators. In the findings, it was found that 96.4% of respondents cited that severe shortages of teaching aids and financial assistance to undertake climate-related activities limited the implementation of climate education programs. The study emphasizes the urgent need for structured training programs on climate issues for teachers to empower them to provide hands-on, experiential learning opportunities on climate adaptation and mitigation. It recommends solving these issues by further enhancing alliances of schools with government agencies and environmental organizations to mobilize financial resources for climate education programs, integrating climate change topics more effectively into the national curriculum, and adopting stronger emphasis on practice and student-centered methods that promote real-world problem-solving. Meeting these systemic gaps will enable climate change education to forge climate-conscious citizens who can actively contribute to implementing environmental sustainability in their communities. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Eswatini, Manzini, Kwaluseni Campus, Matsapha, South Africa; Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, Latvia; Center for Sustainable Development (Greens), Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (Unisul), Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil; School of Urban and Regional Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Centre, Beitbridge, Zimbabwe; Kgotso Development Trust, Beitbridge, Zimbabwe; Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay; CERED, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar; Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States; University of Sierra Sur, Oaxaca, Mexico; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Land Economy, University of Malawi, The Polytechnic, Blantyre 3, Malawi; Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta, Msida, Malta; Academy for Sustainable Futures, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom; Casa de Cultura de la UAEMéx en Tlalpan, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico; School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom; Science Education Department of Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia; University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil; State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil; The Open University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Oslo, Norway; University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Sustainable Development and Policy, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana; Center for Food Security Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa Univesity, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; The Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
