Secondary school students’ familiarity with animals and plants: hometown size matters

Abstract

Species literacy is an important aspect of biodiversity education. This study assesses the ability of secondary students (12/13 years old; n = 944) to list wild animals and plants and aims to determine whether this is linked with their interest in nature, their preferences towards animals and plants and different groups therein, the school type (public or private), per capita income and the size of the students’ hometowns. We have observed that students claim to have a very high interest in nature, but they spontaneously recall a worrisome proportion of exotic species (especially animals), as well as domesticated ones (mainly plants). Besides, they present several ‘Plant Awareness Disparity’ (PAD) symptoms. However, the smaller their hometown is, the more wild native species they list, especially animals, although most PAD symptoms prevail in their answers. Our findings suggest that citizens living in more rural environments may have a higher contact with nature, resulting on a higher spontaneous listing of wild native species. Nevertheless, special efforts must be conducted to counteract PAD as well as ‘Native Species Awareness Disparity’ wherever they live.

Keywords:

• Biodiversity education
• interest in nature
• wildlife species
• plant blindness

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the schools involved in this study and Ingurugela (network of public facilities of the Basque Government to support teachers and schools in environmental education). This study has been partially supported by the Basque Government through the Science, Technology and Mathematics Education Research Group (STEMERG, IT1349-19).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Oihana Barrutia

Oihana Barrutia is a Lecturer on Science Teaching at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). Currently her research focuses on environmental education, biodiversity education, sustainable education, and Plant Blindness.

Aritz Ruiz-González

Aritz Ruiz-González is a Lecturer in Science Education at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). He is especially interested in research about sustainability and biodiversity education and how to enhance science learning through the use of innovative approaches.

Iñaki Sanz-Azkue

Iñaki Sanz-Azkue is a member of the Aranzadi Science Society who also works as an environmental consultant in the network for non-university environmental education of the Basque Government (Ingurugela-CEIDA). He has been teaching in Secondary Education for many years. His main research is focused on biodiversity education, especially herpetology.

José Ramón Díez

José Ramón Díez is a Lecturer in Science Education at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). He lectures in environmental education at university and master’s levels. At present, he is involved in research projects related to sustainable education, biodiversity education and ecological restoration.