Maria Ojala

Maria Ojala is Professor of Socio-Ecological Resilience. She is affiliated with the FRONT (Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience) program and TESS (Teacher Education, School, and Society), Faculty of Education and Psychology.

Maria is also associate professor (docent) and senior lecturer in psychology at Örebro University, Sweden (20% until December 2026)

Maria’s main research interest concerns how young people think, feel, act, learn, and communicate about global environmental problem, with a specific focus on climate change. In her research at the FRONT program she and her team focuses on identifying resilience factors in the face of global sustainability problems that can help young people become active citizens without compromising mental health. Some resilience factors of interest are meaning-focused coping, social trust, trust in science, nature connectedness, hope, and critical emotional awareness.

Maria conducts quantitative and qualitative studies as well as theoretical studies.

Current research projects as PI

Socio-ecological resilience subtheme in the Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience Program, Financing from Academy of Finland, PROFI 7. 2024-2028.

Climate-change hopelessness among emerging adults: Sources of hopelessness, outcomes, and resilience factors. Financing from Eudaimonia. 2026-2028.

What role does climate change worry play in young people’s life and learning processes? A longitudinal study about protective and transformational factors and implications for climate change education. Grant from the Swedish Research Council VR. 2022 (Aug)-2026

To trust or not to trust? Youth’s attitudes, emotions, and trust in climate change science. Grant from the Swedish Research Council Forte. 2022-2026