Understanding climate change knowledge among basic and high school students in Sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from a scoping review and bibliometric analysis

Climate change (CC) is a critical global issue that threatens the well-being of future generations. Educating the public about CC is essential for raising awareness of its current and future impacts on the environment and human societies. Education serves as a central pillar in mitigating the effects of CC. To evaluate the level of understanding of CC, a scoping review and bibliometric analysis was conducted covering the period from 2014 to 2023. The focus was on the knowledge of CC among basic and high school students in sub-Saharan African countries. Using the Dimensions database, 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters were identified based on specific inclusion criteria: English-language publications from January 1, 2014, to September 10, 2023, related to CC education at the basic and high school levels. Among these, 24 publications specifically addressed students’ comprehension of CC education. Dimensions was selected due to its strong open access policy and extensive journal coverage. Findings from the review indicate that students at the basic education level in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have limited knowledge of CC and are generally unaware of its consequences. This gap is largely attributed to the absence of CC content in school curricula and a lack of teacher expertise in delivering CC-related topics. At the high school level, CC education is typically confined to science-related subjects, with little to no inclusion in business or arts curricula. This study aims to address these educational gaps by advocating for the integration of CC topics across school curricula. Enhancing CC education at both the basic and high school levels is crucial for fostering environmental awareness and promoting climate action across the region.