Didactics of Biology and Environmental Education

Freya Steinacher, MEd BEd Univ. BA
Senior Scientist, Head of Educational School Garden

Office: B-3.027 (3rd floor, NLW/ NAWI)
Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Tel.: + 43 (0) 662 /8044-7320
E-Mail:

Functions

• Head of the Educational School Garden (from 09/2024) in the Botanical Garden
• Current University Teaching:
  • “Central Topics in Biology Education: Ethics and Nutrition in the Age of Climate Change and Species Extinction,”
  • “Scientific Methods in Teaching for 10- to 14-Year-Olds,” &
  • “Living Organisms in Biology Education and Extracurricular Learning Sites: Plants and School Garden”
• Since 2024: Jury Member for the Dr. Hans Riegel Science Award for Outstanding Pre-Scientific Work in the Field of Biology

Research

“What Future Awaits You?” – Future Visions, Environmental Anxiety, and Youth Vulnerability in the Age of Climate Change

Steinacher, F. , Huber, A. & von Kotzebue, L.

ABSTRACT
Climate anxiety poses a growing challenge for science education, shaping how young people relate to environmental issues and imagine their future. This study explores which climate-related topics preoccupy Austrian students in 2023, their biggest fears and hopes for the next two decades, and how these concerns have shifted over the past 35 years. A survey of 280 students, using a mixed-methods approach, combined quantitative assessments of climate anxiety, perceived vulnerability, and environmental knowledge with open-ended questions about their anxieties, aspirations, and visions of the future. Findings indicate that environmental destruction remains the most commonly cited concern, while individual fears—particularly biophobias—have increased significantly. Students who feel more personally affected by environmental problems tend to experience higher levels of climate anxiety, especially those with greater environmental knowledge. Comparisons with earlier studies from 1989 and 2011 show that while environmental worries persist, pessimism has grown, particularly among female students. Negative future expectations are increasingly dominant, with pessimistic students more likely to depict nature as damaged or lost. These results highlight the urgency of integrating climate anxiety into science education in ways that build resilience and encourage constructive engagement. By embedding emotional responses to climate issues within a broader framework of sustainability education, this study emphasizes the need to connect scientific understanding with psychological support, helping young people cope with their concerns about the future.

Keywords: Climate Anxiety, Emotions, Environmental Education, Futures-Oriented Science Education

Specialities: