Secondary Students’ Knowledge on Birds and Attitudes towards Conservation: Evaluation of an Environmental Education Program

Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve holds a diversity of habitats and resources that are essential for migratory bird species’ conservation, and at the same time provides a rich milieu for the development of environmental education programs. This study evaluates the impact of a daylong and place-based environmental education program, performed at the Urdaibai Bird Center (UBC), on secondary education students’ environmental attitudes and knowledge. Students (n = 908) completed a written questionnaire where their perceptions on the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve and marshes, together with their interest in biodiversity, knowledge about bird migration and bird species identification skills, and attitudes towards conservation were assessed. Results show that students’ knowledge regarding Biosphere Reserves, marshes, and bird migration is limited, and that their bird identification skills are scarce. Although they scored high on environmental attitudes, a significant number of them feel that conservation efforts are excessive and hinder economic development. Students living within the Biosphere Reserve, as well as from rural milieus or who underwent primary education through a bird-centered curriculum hold a better knowledge of the local biodiversity. To adapt the environmental education program at the UBC, its integration in formal teaching/learning contexts via meaningful hands-on and/or project-based activities could be considered, together with the systematic evaluation of the outcomes.This study was partially funded by the Basque Government through the IKASGARAIA (Education, Culture and Sustainable Development) Research Group (IT1637-22)

Euskal haur eta gazteen biodibertsitate-alfabetatzea: kezka iturri bat

Along with the climate emergency, one of the most worrying indicators of the current global crisis is biodiversity loss. To deal with it, biodiversity-related attitudes and knowledge are key. It is the children and youth of the present-day, in other words the adults of the future, who will have to make decisions on this emergency. Thus, the diagnosis of their biodiversity knowledge is necessary to design adequate educational strategies. This paper analyzes the results of different works assessing the species literacy of current Basque teenagers (11/12-16/17 years). In particular, studies exploring students' broad knowledge about species (identification and naming) have been analyzed, as this superficial knowledge is considered to be a direct predictor of in-deep knowledge. The studies suggest that future generations have little awareness of native species and that Plant Blindness is widespread among them. In addition, they show a high familiarity with charismatic animals and domesticated plants. Among animals, mammals are the best known, leaving aside the most endangered classes (such as amphibians) or most biodiverse animal groups (e.g., invertebrates). In the case of plants, due to the abundance and attractiveness of flowering plants, these are the most recalled and identified ones, whereas grasses are eluded. The results also show that the smaller or more rural the studied children’s hometown is, the more native species they identify and recall. As a result, the need for teaching/learning biodiversity in contact with nature and while conducting scientific practices arises, being teacher training key on this path.; Larrialdi klimatikoarekin batera, biodibertsitatearen galera da gaur egungo krisialdi globalaren adierazle kezkagarrienetariko bat. Horri aurre egiteko, giltzarri dira biodibertsitatearekiko jarrera eta harekin erlazionatutako ezagutza. Izan ere, nekez kontserbatuko da ezagutzen ez dena. Gaur egungo haur eta gazteek, etorkizuneko helduek, alegia, hartu beharko dituzte erabakiak larrialdi honen inguruan. Hala, beharrezkoa da gazte hauen biodibertsitate-ezagutza ikertzea hezkuntza-estrategia egokiak diseinatu ahal izateko. Lan honetan, gaur egungo Hego Euskal Herriko haur eta gazteen (11/12-16/17 urte-bitartea) espezie-alfabetatze maila diagnostikatzen duten ikerketen emaitzak aztertu dira. Zehazki, ikasleek espezieez duten "ezagutza zabala" (identifikazioa eta izendapena) aztertzen duten lanak arakatu dira. Lanok iradokitzen dutenez, oso apala da etorkizuneko belaunaldiek bertoko espezieez duten ezagutza, eta hedatuta dago haien artean landareekiko itsutasuna. Bestalde, animalia karismatiko eta etxekotutako landareetarako isuria dute, eta animalien artean ugaztunak dituzte ezagunenak, alde batera utzita animalia talde mehatxatuenak (anfibioak, esaterako) edo bioaniztasun handikoak (ornogabeak, oro har). Landareen kasuan, loredunen ugaritasun eta erakargarritasuna dela-eta, haiek dituzte batez ere gogoan, gramineoak ahaztuta. Emaitzek agerian uzten dute, era berean, haur eta gazteen bizilekua zenbat eta txikiagoa edo landatarragoa izan, espezie autoktono gehiago identifikatu eta aipatzen dituztela. Ondorioz, argi azaleratu da biodibertsitatearen hezkuntza halabeharrez naturarekin harremanetan eta zientzia-praktikak erabiliz irakastearen beharra, irakasleen formakuntza gako delarik bide horretan

Modelo Científico de la Nutrición Vegetal: análisis epistemológico y propuesta de progresión de aprendizaje

La enseñanza/aprendizaje del Modelo Científico de la Nutrición Vegetal (MCNV) es un tema fundamental en la enseñanza de las ciencias. Sin embargo, se trata de uno de los contenidos más difíciles tanto de enseñar como de aprender. Con el objetivo de guiar al profesorado en el diseño de secuencias de enseñanza/aprendizaje y en la construcción de ambientes de aprendizaje efectivos, este estudio consta de tres secciones. En la primera se realiza un análisis epistemológico del MCNV para definir las ideas clave que han de ser trabajadas durante el recorrido académico. En la segunda se define el modelo escolar que debería alcanzar el alumnado al finalizar la educación secundaria tomando como base la investigación didáctica y el análisis del contexto y del currículum. En la última sección se configura una propuesta de progresión de aprendizaje que explicita una secuenciación del contenido del modelo tomando en consideración las dificultades de enseñanza/aprendizaje de la temática, propuestas de progresión previas, así como orientaciones curriculares internacionales. Palabras clave: Modelos; Nutrición vegetal; Ideas clave; Progresión de aprendizaje. Scientific Model of Plant Nutrition: epistemological analysis and a proposed learning progression Abstract: The teaching and learning of the Scientific Model of Plant Nutrition (SMPN) is a pivotal topic in science education. However, it is also one of the most difficult contents to both teach and learn. With the aim of guiding teachers in the design of teaching/learning sequences and the construction of effective learning environments, this study consists of three sections. First, an epistemological analysis of the SMPN is performed in order to define the key ideas that must be worked on during schooling. In the second, considering the didactic research and the analysis of the context and school curriculum, it is defined the school science model students should construct by the end of secondary education. In the last section a proposed learning progression which describes a hypothetical sequencing of the contents of the model is articulated by taking into account the teaching/learning difficulties of the topic, previously proposed learning progressions, and international curricular orientations. Keywords: Models; Plant nutrition; Key ideas, Learning progression.La enseñanza/aprendizaje del Modelo Científico de la Nutrición Vegetal (MCNV) es un tema fundamental en la enseñanza de las ciencias. Sin embargo, se trata de uno de los contenidos más difíciles tanto de enseñar como de aprender. Con el objetivo de guiar al profesorado en el diseño de secuencias de enseñanza/aprendizaje y en la construcción de ambientes de aprendizaje efectivos, este estudio consta de tres secciones. En la primera se realiza un análisis epistemológico del MCNV para definir las ideas clave que han de ser trabajadas durante el recorrido académico. En la segunda se define el modelo escolar que debería alcanzar el alumnado al finalizar la educación secundaria tomando como base la investigación didáctica y el análisis del contexto y del currículum. En la última sección se configura una propuesta de progresión de aprendizaje que explicita una secuenciación del contenido del modelo tomando en consideración las dificultades de enseñanza/aprendizaje de la temática, propuestas de progresión previas, así como orientaciones curriculares internacionales. Palabras clave: Modelos; Nutrición vegetal; Ideas clave; Progresión de aprendizaje. Scientific Model of Plant Nutrition: epistemological analysis and a proposed learning progression Abstract: The teaching and learning of the Scientific Model of Plant Nutrition (SMPN) is a pivotal topic in science education. However, it is also one of the most difficult contents to both teach and learn. With the aim of guiding teachers in the design of teaching/learning sequences and the construction of effective learning environments, this study consists of three sections. First, an epistemological analysis of the SMPN is performed in order to define the key ideas that must be worked on during schooling. In the second, considering the didactic research and the analysis of the context and school curriculum, it is defined the school science model students should construct by the end of secondary education. In the last section a proposed learning progression which describes a hypothetical sequencing of the contents of the model is articulated by taking into account the teaching/learning difficulties of the topic, previously proposed learning progressions, and international curricular orientations. Keywords: Models; Plant nutrition; Key ideas, Learning progression