Exploring the impact of nature connectedness on Chinese adolescents’ climate change awareness and the mediating role of geographical synthetic thinking

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.