JONAED

Climate change is a very devastating phenomenon that is currently sweeping across the globe. The increased frequency and intensity of climate change hazards such as flood, erosion, pollution and disease have brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerians and their environments, schools in Anambra State inclusive. The study ascertained the extent of awareness of the causes and effects of climate change by students in secondary schools in Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study and two hypotheses were tested. The study utilized the descriptive survey research design and involved a sample of 1,600 senior secondary school two (SS2) students drawn from the 33,402 SS2 students in Anambra State. A researcher developed instrument containing 26 items and titled “Students Climate Change Awareness Test (SCCAT)” was used for data collection. The instrument was duly validated by experts. A reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained using test- re -test method and Pearson product moment correlation. Data collected were analyzed using mean for the research questions, while z-test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The study found among others that students from private secondary schools were aware to a low extent while those in public secondary schools were aware to a great extent of the causes of climate change. It was also found out that students in public secondary schools were more of the effects of climate change than those in private secondary schools. Based on these findings, recommendations were made which include that private secondary school managements should engage in climate change campaigns which will aid understanding of the causes and effects of climate change among their students. Conclusions were drawn, and implications of the study highlighted.