Keyword

Affective engagement, Climate anxiety, Eco-visual literacy, Sustainability education, Visual pedagogy

Abstract

This study critically examines the efficacy of a curated eco-visual literacy intervention designed to mediate student affective engagement with climate related phenomena in higher education. A mixed methods case study of 80 students, considered representative, evaluated a six month innovation in a Digital Photography module. The instructional sequence combined curated viewing, contextualisation, facilitated dialogue and creative practice to support engagement with the environmental rhetoric of photographers, including apocalyptic narratives and dystopic visions. Qualitative evidence from reflective journals and multimodal creative artefacts was integrated with an anonymous post programme survey to generate contextual insights into meaning making and perceived agency.

Analysis indicates that visceral portrayals of industrial degradation initially elicited shock and melancholia. As students moved from passive viewing to structured discussion and solution focused reframing, responses shifted towards empowerment. Participants translated climate induced distress into persuasive works of visual advocacy. Survey responses from 72 students complemented these accounts, with 90 per cent reporting increased motivation for sustainable behavioural change.

Overall, the findings suggest that mediation of affect, rather than unstructured exposure to distressing environmental content, can reframe climate anxiety as a catalyst for creative action and environmental advocacy. The study highlights implications for higher education, showing that embedding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, known as the SDGs, within core curricula may support student wellbeing and position institutions as leaders in sustainability education. Finally, it proposes a framework for analytic and pedagogical transferability, emphasising that faculty supported engagement with emotionally complex content can foster global citizenship.


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