This study explores how preservice Earth science teachers’ perceived climate change action competence compares with their enacted practices during a situated learning-based climate activist program. Climate change education increasingly requires teachers to help students move beyond scientific understanding toward communication, decisionmaking, reflection, and responsible action. Awareness alone does not necessarily lead to action-oriented teaching. This study was conducted via a two-year program in which preservice Earth science teachers served as mentors for elementary and middle school students. In the first year, six mentors participated in the first and second halves of the program’s implementation. In the second year, four mentors participated, and additional scaffolds, including interviews and structured action-competence question prompts, were introduced. The data sources included a 21-item questionnaire, reflective journals, and interviews. The findings demonstrated a persistent theory-practice gap: mentors reported high levels of competence, but reflective journals indicated uneven enactment, especially in integrative thinking, decision making, and willingness to act. During the second year, in which intentional scaffolding was introduced, several action-related competencies became more visible in practice, particularly integrative thinking, communication, decision-making, and willingness to act. These findings suggest that climate change teacher education should combine authentic mentoring, structured reflection, and explicit action-oriented pedagogical prompts.

Abstract
1. Introduction
    1.1. SSI-based Climate Change Education
    1.2. Climate Change Action Competence
    1.3. Situated Learning
    1.4. Research questions
2. Methodology
    2.1. Research context and participants
    2.2. Research process
    2.3. Program topics
    2.4. Instructional characteristics of the Program
    2.5. Data collection and analysis
3. Results
    3.1. The first-year program revealed a persistent theory-practice gap
    3.2. The second-year program made actionrelatedcompetencies more visible throughexplicit scaffolding
    3.3. Qualitative evidence of individualmentors' changes in perception and practice
4. Conclusion and Implications
Acknowledgment
References

• Dongjun Lee(Department of Science Education, Chosun University, Jeonnam-Gwangju 61452, Korea)
• Young-Shin Par(Department of Science Education, Chosun University, Jeonnam-Gwangju 61452, Korea) Corresponding author