Principles for a Balanced Narrative-Paradigmatic Approach for Climate Change Education

Narratives are fundamental means through which humans organize experiences, interpret phenomena, and construct meaning by weaving events into coherent structures. This intrinsic role in sensemaking makes them particularly valuable in Climate Change Education. However, within the context of science education, they also present certain limitations and risks. Drawing on Bruner’s theory of the dual modes of thought—narrative and paradigmatic—this study introduces two core design principles aimed at fostering a balanced educational approach. From this perspective, narratives are not merely tools for communication but represent a distinct mode of thinking that is essential to the learning process to be integrated with logico-scientific reasoning.