From learning-resource centres to climate action: A climate-literacy maturity model for school information specialists in Oman

Abstract

Climate change education is increasingly framed as an action-oriented literacy that combines knowledge, critical information practices, and civic agency. School learning-resource centres (LRCs) and information specialists are positioned to translate national sustainability agendas into everyday learning, yet empirical evidence on their climate-literacy capacity remains limited in the Gulf region. This study examines how Omani school information specialists enact climate-change literacy (CCL) in LRC practice and introduces a Climate-Literacy LRC Maturity Model (CL-LRC-MM) as a practice-oriented contribution. Using a qualitative-dominant mixed-method design, in which structured items provide contextualising descriptive statistics and open-ended responses constitute the primary evidence base, data were drawn from a structured questionnaire administered to 22 information specialists across boys’ and girls’ schools in six governorates. Closed items captured training exposure, activity frequency, collaboration patterns, resource availability, and support for student media projects; open-ended responses were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Findings indicate strong normative commitment to CCL but modest professional preparation, uneven resourcing, and limited routine collaboration with teachers. Participants described mostly episodic awareness activities, while also articulating a clear vision for stronger roles involving curated climate collections, media-and-information literacy, student-led advocacy, and cross-sector partnerships. Grounded in these patterns and aligned to UNESCO ESD for 2030 and UNFCCC Action for Climate Empowerment, the proposed CL-LRC-MM specifies six capability domains across five maturity levels and offers operational indicators for school leaders and policymakers. The model supports targeted professional development, resource planning, and monitoring to reposition LRCs as strategic nodes for climate-literate and resilient school communities.