STEP 4. Data processing/analyzing

Processing of the information

The processing of the information they have searched and asked for will in most cases be analyzed and reflected upon instantly. When keeping a record of what, where and how they came across this information as well as their reflections upon it makes it possible for them to go back and see their process. Likewise, the teacher can get opportunities to follow their development as they proceed. The teacher’s role is to ask questions and challenge their reasoning, thus stimulating their critical thinking.

Interview

When students do an interview the answers may be registered in written or in audio/video format. In the first case, answers may have the characteristics of conclusions or just the essence of what has been said. This way to register an interview requires that the students are able to instantly interpret and write down what has been said. In the latter case, the words that have been said are saved and can be overheard again. The challenge with this format is that it is time consuming to transform it to written format (the teacher should advise the students only to transcribe the most important parts of the interview). Another option is to take out the important parts as audio/video bits to make an edited version of the interview. In both cases, the students have worked with and processed the information that has most relevance for their mission.

Models

 As for the student’s work with models, the situation is the same as for reading and searching for information. The teacher’s role is to make sure that the students are able to understand and explain what the model expresses and also how the model is relevant for their mission. One way of doing this is to make the students translate the model into another modality, e.g. from drawing/diagram to written text or oral explanation. Then they have to understand the elements and the processes, which the model consists of. This requires cognitive processing of what the model expresses and of considerations of which features the new modality have and therefore how it can be expressed in this new way. Such activities will challenge and stimulate their reasoning and raise awareness of the model's knowledge potential and relevance to their mission.

Observation or experiment

Whether the students are producing data from an observation or an experiment, data must be organized and interpreted to become knowledge for the students. In the following section the work on two types of data is briefly described:

Pictorial data

Pictorial data can be organized according to either spatial or temporal principles. In the first case, emphasis is on location and extension of a phenomenon whereas in the latter case emphasis is on how things develop over time. In some cases, of course, both principles are relevant, that is when a phenomenon develops or spreads in an area. Other organizing principles could be relevant, e.g. when students are interpreting messages in pictures of people, other places or situations.

Samples

Samples that are brought back to the school must be studied in microscopes, measured and weighed and/or their physical and chemical features tested. This will most commonly result in rows/tables of numbers and in many cases it will be relevant to do calculations (mean, min., max. % etc.) and to convert these into graphic representations (graphs/diagrams). This will ease interpretation as it requires transformation from one mode to another and therefore it will help students to understand the nature of their findings.

In both cases when students bring back pictures or samples from fieldwork, the teacher's role is to encourage them to do thorough work in order for them to get the most out of it. In some cases, it may be relevant to ask the students to revise their plan of action and to reconsider their methods, e.g. the number of pictures/samples, spatial distribution of where pictures/samples are taken etc. so that their conclusion will stand on more solid grounds. This is especially important if they are to engage with the local community and in all cases, it will provide them with a better understanding of the nature of science.

Recommendations and comments

From the teachers in the project to teachers who would like to start working with Climate Change Education:

“Climate Change education should be encouraged  actively instead of passively, because encouragement can be too active, but never too passive. The curricula shouldn't press on the student to perform specific tasks, rather it should be his/her own choice to contribute. The main principles of climate change education and innovation in secondary schools seem to rely on this notion, because it takes heavily from the idea that students should have almost complete freedom of thought, ideas and expression when it comes to the dissemination and sharing of various Climate Change prevention ideas. Also some life determining principles are honesty with the students (lack of bias on certain issues), professional integrity and sticking to the scientific process, mainly the idea of trial-and-error and experimentation. The students have to know exactly how scientists do their job and how young people may contribute to making their community more climate-educated” (Teacher from Lithuania).

“On this stage our students learned how to approach the problem by processing, discussing, analysing and prioritising the information they had already gathered. Each group developed a detailed plan of their actions including e.g.: regulations, requirements, finances, timing. They were provided with regular consultations, when they encountered any obstacles. In the case of „flowery meadow” group, the students had to choose the best gardening company, the most appropriate plants, buy seeds, soil and pot, consult the school headmaster and biology teachers in order to find the best place for the sample pot, etc.” (Teacher from Poland).