Abstract

Climate change education not only requires accuracy in terms of scientific information provided in textbooks but also concerns linguistic representations of causation, risk, responsibility, and potential actions to be taken. This mixed-method comparative research looks into climate change communication in contemporary secondary school science, geography, and social science textbooks within four different educational settings: Australia, England, India, and South Africa. A stratified corpus of 24 textbooks published or updated between 2016 and 2025 containing 1,842 climate-related sentences was created to conduct quantitative content analysis of thematic distribution, agency, modality, evaluation, temporal and spatial distance, and action orientation. The comparative model shows that impact-based language is used more often than solution-based language, and collective and institutional responsibility is mentioned less often than individual responsibility. Scientific certainty is usually stated in declarative sentences; however, the use of passive sentences and nominalization often leads to hiding the identity of agents who emit greenhouse gases. Examples that include local references, causal agents, inclusive pronouns, and possible collective actions represent a better form of awareness-oriented communication than texts that mention remote risk, abstract scientific terms, or behavioral prescriptions. The research suggests a Linguistic Environmental Awareness Model which consists of scientific certainty, ecological closeness, responsibility attribution, emotional alignment, and action effectiveness. The results demonstrate that a good textbook can be defined not only by its ability to provide scientific facts but also by the way it helps students comprehend the causes of phenomena, assess uneven distribution of impacts, and find realistic solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change.