| NSF Org: |
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 21, 2014 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 21, 2014 |
| Award Number: | 1422431 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Sandra Welch
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2014 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2019 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $2,998,178.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $2,998,178.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
4400 UNIVERSITY DR FAIRFAX VA US 22030-4422 (703)993-2295 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
4400 University Drive, MSN 4C6 Fairfax VA US 22030-4422 |
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Performance Congressional District: |
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| NSF Program(s): | AISL |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
The goal of this three-year initiative is to expand the implementation of a currently active and proven climate education method delivered by TV weathercasters around the country. The work is a partnership of George Mason University, Yale University, Climate Central (a non-profit climate science research and media production organization), the American Meteorological Society, and NOAA and NASA. This project will include four activities: (1) recruiting 200 TV more weathercasters nationwide (currently just over 100 are participating); (2) providing participating weathercasters with professional development activities and training on use of Climate Matters materials to help them become confident and competent climate educators; (3) developing and distributing to participating weathercasters timely, localized, broadcast-ready graphics and science information, when possible tied to local weather and climatic events, to make it easy for them to educate their viewers about the local relationships between the climate and the weather; and (4) research and evaluation activities to improve the rate of use and effectiveness of Climate Matters materials by weathercasters over time and to study the effect on learning about climate by the public.
Learning outcomes by the public will be evaluated using a quasi-experimental method with nationally representative surveys of the public, conducted twice per year over the course of the project. The guiding hypothesis is that there will be a dose-response relationship between the extent of TV weathercaster use of Climate Matters materials in a community (i.e., a media market) and change over time in viewers' understanding of the climate. The development of Climate Matters is based on theories of informal and experiential learning. The scaling up of the initiative applies methods derived from diffusion of innovation and social marketing theories.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Climate Matters is a climate change reporting resources program developed to support localized climate reporting by TV weathercasters across the United States. The reporting resources were produced and distributed on an approximately weekly basis, in English and Spanish. At the beginning of the award period, Climate Matters was supporting 150 TV weathercasters. That number grew to 784 weathercasters by the end of the award period, 38 of whom broadcast in Spanish. Those weathercasters broadcast from 420 local TV stations, with at least one weathercaster broadcasting in 88% of US media markets. Through workshops and webinars, the project also provided numerous professional development opportunities to TV weathercasters who wanted to increase their competence and confidence in local climate reporting. During the project period, on-air climate change reporting by TV weathercasters increased 2,566%—from 69 stories aired in 2014 to 1,771 stories aired in 2018. Thus, Climate Matters achieved the major goal of the project, growing reach and engagement with weathercasters substantially during the project period.
Regarding impact, we documented substantial increases in both the science-based views and climate reporting practices of TV weathercasters. We also found that viewers appreciated climate reporting by local TV weathercasters, feeling that it provided them with a helpful local perspective on a global problem. In two not-yet-published evaluation studies, we also found strong evidence that viewers who are exposed to climate reporting by TV weathercasters develop more science-based views of climate change. Thus, in addition to substantially expanding the amount of local climate reporting on air by TV weathercasters, there is evidence to suggest that this increase in reporting is helping Americans to better understand the personal relevance of climate change.
Last Modified: 11/25/2019
Modified by: Edward Maibach
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