Resilience and adaptive capacity: rethinking educational structures in the age of climate crisis

As the effects of climate change intensify, the need to improve educational adaptability becomes more evident. While research has often focused on how education can promote adaptation, less attention has been given to the ability of the education system itself to adapt. This article addresses this gap by examining the structural barriers that limit education’s capacity to effectively respond to climate change. Using Luhmann’s systems theory, complexity theory, and resilience thinking, it suggests that the internal logic and operational structure of the education system hinder its responsiveness to environmental changes. Relying on complexity theory, the article also considers the challenges that can arise when education becomes too resilient. The article, however, highlights three interconnected areas that can enhance the education system’s adaptive capacity: its composition and organization, the flow of information and learning, and the tools of coordination and governance. It is maintained that if these areas are developed together, they can help education maintain stability while becoming more flexible in the face of disruption and change. The perspective presented in this article broadens the discussion of environmental education by emphasizing the systemic conditions that support responsiveness, learning, and transformation amid climate uncertainty.