A quality climate education in Victorian schools? A cross-case comparison of pre-university subjects

Our paper analyses the changing affordances for climate learning in select curriculum for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). Current education policy has created two main clusters for learning about climate within STEM and HASS VCE subjects. We argue these offer both core and peripheral areas for quality climate teaching and learning—i.e. that might engender hope and action—for 16-19 year olds, even as they present diverse opportunities for advancing learning and competence development in cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural domains. The STEM cluster includes: Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology; and HASS: Geography, History, Australian and Global Politics, and Outdoor and Environmental Studies. Students will not take all of these VCEs (neither are any compulsory), while VCE subject teachers do not know what is expected or experienced within other subject designs beyond their field of expertise. Extending Dawson et al (2022)’s recent international comparative study of middle years climate-related curriculum, we examine the breadth, depth and quality of learning affordances in the current and next generation versions of VCEs to present an analysis of patterns of possible learning within and across subjects. Findings suggest continued fragmentation within some study designs, innovation and depth in others, and significant differences in emphasis and approach across each cluster. Our findings add to ongoing questions as to whether pre-university courses provide sufficient scaffolds and affordances for learners to develop their understandings, skills and values within a ‘quality climate education’. We also discuss prospects for addressing them to better equip learners in challenging times.