Exploring the pedagogical content knowledge of Danish geography teachers: teaching weather formation and climate change

Weather formation and climate change is an important topic in the geography curriculum in Danish schools. It helps students to acquire knowledge and skills, but also prepares them for active citizenship. This “dual perspective” might be a complex task to embrace, but it is not well described in research. A case study of four Danish geography teachers was conducted, including interviews and classroom observations. The findings revealed three major themes related to the teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK): (1) they considered weather formation and climate change to be a difficult topic, (2) they regarded it as a value-laden topic, and (3) they had strikingly different ways of teaching the topic. The teachers emphasised the dual perspective to various degrees, including a knowledge dimension and students’ commitment and visions for the future. Students action experiences was however not an issue.