Exploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking
Abstract In the context of global efforts to address the climate crisis, enhancing adolescents’ climate change awareness stands as a critical measure. Given the pivotal role of geography education in fostering environmental responsibility and understanding the interplay between nature and human soci...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11719-y |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849342797585317888 |
|---|---|
| author | Yuyao Yu Jiahao Ge Fengtao Guo Yushan Duan |
| author_facet | Yuyao Yu Jiahao Ge Fengtao Guo Yushan Duan |
| author_sort | Yuyao Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In the context of global efforts to address the climate crisis, enhancing adolescents’ climate change awareness stands as a critical measure. Given the pivotal role of geography education in fostering environmental responsibility and understanding the interplay between nature and human society, this study explores how nature connectedness among adolescents influences their climate change awareness, with a specific focus on the mediating effect of geographical synthetic thinking. Based on a survey of 1,338 Chinese adolescents, the findings reveal that fostering nature connectedness significantly enhances climate change awareness. Furthermore, the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of this relationship. The research findings further highlight the value of geography education in promoting climate change awareness, offering novel implications for advancing climate change education. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e7eca8aafbb945828f01afb6854100a3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-e7eca8aafbb945828f01afb6854100a32025-08-20T03:43:15ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-11719-yExploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinkingYuyao Yu0Jiahao Ge1Fengtao Guo2Yushan Duan3School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityCollege of Education, Zhejiang Normal UniversitySchool of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversitySchool of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityAbstract In the context of global efforts to address the climate crisis, enhancing adolescents’ climate change awareness stands as a critical measure. Given the pivotal role of geography education in fostering environmental responsibility and understanding the interplay between nature and human society, this study explores how nature connectedness among adolescents influences their climate change awareness, with a specific focus on the mediating effect of geographical synthetic thinking. Based on a survey of 1,338 Chinese adolescents, the findings reveal that fostering nature connectedness significantly enhances climate change awareness. Furthermore, the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of this relationship. The research findings further highlight the value of geography education in promoting climate change awareness, offering novel implications for advancing climate change education.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11719-yNature connectednessClimate change awarenessGeographical synthetic thinkingClimate change education |
| spellingShingle | Yuyao Yu Jiahao Ge Fengtao Guo Yushan Duan Exploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking Scientific Reports Nature connectedness Climate change awareness Geographical synthetic thinking Climate change education |
| title | Exploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking |
| title_full | Exploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking |
| title_short | Exploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking |
| title_sort | exploring the impact of nature connectedness on chinese adolescents climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking |
| topic | Nature connectedness Climate change awareness Geographical synthetic thinking Climate change education |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11719-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuyaoyu exploringtheimpactofnatureconnectednessonchineseadolescentsclimatechangeawarenessandthemediatingroleofgeographicalsyntheticthinking AT jiahaoge exploringtheimpactofnatureconnectednessonchineseadolescentsclimatechangeawarenessandthemediatingroleofgeographicalsyntheticthinking AT fengtaoguo exploringtheimpactofnatureconnectednessonchineseadolescentsclimatechangeawarenessandthemediatingroleofgeographicalsyntheticthinking AT yushanduan exploringtheimpactofnatureconnectednessonchineseadolescentsclimatechangeawarenessandthemediatingroleofgeographicalsyntheticthinking |