A Climate Change Education Program for 7th and 8th Grade Students in Istanbul Schools: Does It Improve Climate Knowledge and Health-Protective Behaviors?

Climate is the usual weather pattern of a place over a long time. Climate change means long-term shifts in climate, caused by natural processes and, above all, by human activity. Since the Industrial Revolution, factories and production have released more greenhouse gases into the air, and the planet has become warmer. These changes are a risk to public health. They harm some groups more than others: children, older adults, people with long-term illnesses, and people with fewer resources. This makes health inequalities worse, so fighting climate change is a public health issue as well as an environmental one. Young people today are more aware of climate change, which is a good chance to strengthen programs that protect and improve health. The few studies available show that climate change education for teenagers is mostly given in 7th and 8th grade. However, we do not know enough about whether this education changes behavior or improves health. This study aims to find out how a climate change education program affects teenagers\' climate literacy (their understanding of climate change) and their health-protective behaviors. The study is quasi-experimental, with a control group and tests before and after the program. It will take place in two middle schools in Üsküdar, Istanbul, from September 2026 to January 2027. Participants will be 7th and 8th grade students from these schools. The sample size was calculated with the G\*Power 3.1.9.4 program. Allowing for dropouts, we plan to include 154 teenagers: 77 in the education group and 77 in the control group. Data will be collected with three tools: a Descriptive Information Form, the Climate Literacy Scale, and the Climate Change Health-Protective Behaviors Scale - Adolescent.