Integration of Climate Action - SDG 13 to Science Instruction: A Basis for Climate Education Policy

Science education plays a crucial role in promoting climate action among students by equipping them with essential knowledge and skills regarding climate complexities, which in turn fosters active participation and critical thinking skills. The study investigated the integration of SDG-13 (Climate Action) into science education within the public secondary schools in Masbate Province, Philippines, to serve as a basis for the crafting of the climate education policy in the future. Using mixed-methods, the quantitative data were collected from 23 participants, consisting of science teachers, master teachers, and school heads, using a researcher-made survey questionnaire to determine their level of readiness and perceived challenges. The findings demonstrated a high level of teachers’ preparedness and a strong positive perception of climate-related content and activities in schools. However, teachers showed a low familiarity with the SDG-13 framework. While the study found moderate positive correlations between teacher preparedness and school support factors, namely school guidelines, admin-teacher collaboration, adequate resources, and external partnerships, the study warrants a larger sample size of participants to further strengthen these findings. Meanwhile, the qualitative data from participants' open-ended responses confirmed the challenges they faced in integrating climate action into their lessons. This highlights the need for specialized teacher training, more accessible and adequate teaching materials, and strategies to address student disengagement. The study revealed that while teachers are willing to integrate climate action into science instruction, its practical implementation is hindered by the lack of formal knowledge and institutional support, highlighting the need for targeted climate education policy to strengthen resource allocation, professional development, collaborative strategies, and other support factors.