Examining the Uptake and Effectiveness of the Climate Justice Instructional Toolkit

Abstract

Climate justice is an accelerating global movement in which education plays a vital role in building awareness, understanding and catalyzing action. Yet, many institutions of higher education face persistent barriers to integrating climate justice across disciplines, including limited institutional focus, lack of faculty expertise, and, more recently, heightened political constraints. In response, climate justice educators have proposed a range of strategies—such as conducting faculty workshops, hosting events, offering incentives, increasing funding, and developing curricular tools—though few studies have examined how curricular resources themselves can advance climate justice education. The Climate Justice Instructional Toolkit (CJIT) was developed to address this gap by providing accessible, adaptable materials to help instructors, even those with limited prior experience, incorporate climate and environmental justice into diverse disciplines. Using a novel survey tool across multiple educational contexts, this study used a mixed methods approach to analyze 76 survey responses to evaluate the CJIT’s effectiveness and user experiences among postsecondary instructors, K–12 teachers, and students. The findings showed broad positive feedback regarding the toolkit’s adaptability and utility while underscoring the need for stronger inclusion of Indigenous perspectives, greater socioeconomic accountability, and more attention to solutions and resilience. Respondents also emphasized that inclusive design, community engagement, and institutional support are critical for advancing climate justice integration and empowering educators in this work.