Maria Christoforaki¹, Nausika Kapsala¹, Manos Skoufoglou², Apostolia Galani^2,

This paper highlights the integration of the timely issue of heatwaves into the curriculum through raising empathy, awareness and preparation of youth for the challenge. It will be necessary to examine how primary school students' ideas about managing heatwaves in urban design can be transformed through the "HEATWAVE CITY" online game. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted, and data collection using pre- and post-questionnaires and worksheets (N = 51) aimed to determine students' initial conceptions about managing urban heat waves and assess how such conceptions might be modified after playing the "HEATWAVE CITY" online game. The results of this research illustrate that the online game "HEATWAVE CITY" evidently changes students' perceptions. This active learning environment involved students in problem-solving, decision-making, and exploration in socio-scientific challenges. The manipulative aspect of the approach allowed the students to engage directly with the material, seeing cause-and-effect relationships of their decisions, thus providing depth in their understanding.

Heatwaves, Students' ideas, HEATWAVE CITY online game