WHAT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS KNOW ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE FOOD-ENERGY-WATER NEXUS

Interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability (IES) programs integrate a diverse curriculum providing the opportunity for students to learn about interconnected concepts across systems and disciplines. Therefore, these courses can provide students with a more holistic understanding of human-environment interactions. A common concept taught in (IES) programs is the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus that links the environmental processes, management, use, and security of food, energy, and water systems.

However, due to different factors e.g., course curriculum and student interest, students can have a wealth of knowledge or lack knowledge about certain concepts. Additionally, students’ knowledge gained from prior life experiences may contain alternative conceptions, ideas that do not align with concepts taught in (IES) programs. The goals of our study were: 1) uncover how students’ knowledge about the relationships between food, energy, and water systems relate to their understanding about climate change. 2) reveal what concepts students focus on and potential gaps and/or alternative conceptions in their knowledge.

In 2021 we interviewed 115 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory IES courses from 10 universities and colleges across the United States. Students were asked to answer questions that related to FEW Nexus concepts, both verbally and through drawings. The interviews reveal how students view the FEW Nexus as a cause of climate change and recognize that climate change can also impact the FEW Nexus. In this session we'll report on findings such as how students explain the FEW Nexus as a cause of climate change, how climate change impacts the FEW Nexus, and connections students’ make, e.g., feedback loops.

Our research can inform instructors about students’ breadth of knowledge and their alternative conceptions regarding the FEW Nexus and its relationships to climate change. It is important that instructors address students’ alternate conceptions and gaps in their knowledge as both can limit systems thinking. Instructors can use this information to determine how to best scaffold climate change learning so their students will then have robust and accurate mental frameworks that they can reference and build upon as they complete current and future (IES) program courses.