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Mayes R, Dauer J, Owens D. Convergence and transdisciplinary teaching in quantitative biology. QUANTITATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 4:e8. [PMID: 37587988 PMCID: PMC10425763 DOI: 10.1017/qpb.2023.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The United States National Science and Technology Council has made a call for improving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education at the convergence of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The National Science Foundation (NSF) views convergence as the merging of ideas, approaches, and technologies from widely diverse fields of knowledge to stimulate innovation and discovery. Teaching convergency requires moving to the transdisciplinary level of integration where there is deep integration of skills, disciplines, and knowledge to solve a challenging real-world problem. Here we present a summary on convergence and transdisciplinary teaching. We then provide examples of convergence and transdisciplinary teaching in plant biology, and conclude by discussing limitations to contemporary conceptions of convergency and transdisciplinary STEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Mayes
- Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, United States
| | - Joseph Dauer
- University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - David Owens
- Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, United States
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2
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Scherrer MM, Zerbe S, Petelka J, Säumel I. Understanding old herbal secrets: The renaissance of traditional medicinal plants beyond the twenty classic species? Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1141044. [PMID: 37033626 PMCID: PMC10079881 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1141044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of traditional medicinal plants plays an important role especially in remote rural and marginalized landscapes at different latitudes. In the development of nature conservation strategies based on local knowledge and sustainable resource management, medicinal herbs have been hypothesized to be cultural key stone species. Environmental education is a crucial driver for fostering environmental literacy and preserving local knowledge across generations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the Autonomous Province of Bozen-South Tyrol (N Italy) to gain insights into, and reflections on, the cultural value of traditional medicinal plants and their interplay within the local landscape, nature conservation and their role in environmental education and knowledge transfer across generations. We also used a combination of purposive and snowball sampling to identify relevant actors. The different voices collected in the study clearly highlight the role of medicinal herbs in healthcare, for cultural identity of local communities and demonstrate a growing commercial market niche that maintains the local economy and services, including widespread offers related to environmental education, that have not, unfortunately, been used yet in the formal curricula of local schools. The latter is crucial for a holistic approach taking medicinal plants as an ideal vehicle to connect especially children with nature and history of South Tyrol, strengthening health education and overall environmental literacy, including species knowledge. However, the revival of herbal medicine and related knowledge do not prevent the continuous loss of local traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants, recipes and use. More species and their uses are being forgotten due to superficialisation of knowledge and of mainstreaming and homogenization of the global market of herbal medicine. Safeguarding the natural and cultural treasures of South Tyrol for future generations is in the hands of the local communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Zerbe
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Joshua Petelka
- Conservation Administration, Regional Council Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ina Säumel
- Integrative Research Institute THESys Transformation of Human-Environment-Systems, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Ina Säumel,
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3
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Ardoin NM, Bowers AW, Wheaton M. Leveraging collective action and environmental literacy to address complex sustainability challenges. AMBIO 2023; 52:30-44. [PMID: 35943695 PMCID: PMC9666603 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01764-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Developing and enhancing societal capacity to understand, debate elements of, and take actionable steps toward a sustainable future at a scale beyond the individual are critical when addressing sustainability challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity loss, and zoonotic disease. Although mounting evidence exists for how to facilitate individual action to address sustainability challenges, there is less understanding of how to foster collective action in this realm. To support research and practice promoting collective action to address sustainability issues, we define the term "collective environmental literacy" by delineating four key potent aspects: scale, dynamic processes, shared resources, and synergy. Building on existing collective constructs and thought, we highlight areas where researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can support individuals and communities as they come together to identify, develop, and implement solutions to wicked problems. We close by discussing limitations of this work and future directions in studying collective environmental literacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Ardoin
- Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Graduate School of Education, and Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, 233 Littlefield Hall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Alison W Bowers
- Social Ecology Lab, Graduate School of Education and Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, 233 Littlefield Hall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Mele Wheaton
- Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Suite 226, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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4
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Khanaposhtani MG, Ballard HL, Lorke J, Miller AE, Pratt-Taweh S, Jennewein J, Robinson LD, Higgins L, Johnson RF, Young AN, Pauly GB, Benavides Lahnstein AI. Examining youth participation in ongoing community and citizen science programs in 3 different out-of-school settings. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESEARCH 2022; 28:1730-1754. [PMID: 36217414 PMCID: PMC7613686 DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2022.2078480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We investigated youth participation in three Community and Citizen Science (CCS) programs led by natural history museums in out-of-school settings. Using second generation Activity Theory, we looked at repeated participation over time, collecting and then qualitatively analyzing ethnographic fieldnote observations on focal youth participation and components of the activity systems. We found each program provided multiple and unique access points for youth to participate in environmental science. Further, when facilitators emphasized the scientific goals of the programs clearly and repeatedly, youth participation in the scientific processes of the CCS programs deepened. Access to scientific tools, facilitation in using them, and repeatedly applying them in authentic research, enabled youth to participate in different aspects of CCS, from exploring to submitting biological data. Repeated participation in CCS activities provided the opportunities for youth to try the same type of participation multiple times (intensification), as well as provided the opportunity for youth to try different types of participation (diversification). Our findings suggest that repeated participation in authentic scientific research in CCS contexts fosters youth development of new roles and possible development of environmental science identities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julia Lorke
- Natural History Museum, IPN – Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Kiel, Germany
- Natural History Museum, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity, London, England
| | | | - Sasha Pratt-Taweh
- Natural History Museum, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity, London, England
| | - Jessie Jennewein
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Community Science Office and Urban Nature Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lucy D. Robinson
- Natural History Museum, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity, London, England
| | - Lila Higgins
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Community Science Office and Urban Nature Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Gregory B. Pauly
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Community Science Office and Urban Nature Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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5
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Boelens R, Escobar A, Bakker K, Hommes L, Swyngedouw E, Hogenboom B, Huijbens EH, Jackson S, Vos J, Harris LM, Joy K, de Castro F, Duarte-Abadía B, Tubino de Souza D, Lotz-Sisitka H, Hernández-Mora N, Martínez-Alier J, Roca-Servat D, Perreault T, Sanchis-Ibor C, Suhardiman D, Ulloa A, Wals A, Hoogesteger J, Hidalgo-Bastidas JP, Roa-Avendaño T, Veldwisch GJ, Woodhouse P, Wantzen KM. Riverhood: political ecologies of socionature commoning and translocal struggles for water justice. THE JOURNAL OF PEASANT STUDIES 2022; 50:1125-1156. [PMID: 39165309 PMCID: PMC11332406 DOI: 10.1080/03066150.2022.2120810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Mega-damming, pollution and depletion endanger rivers worldwide. Meanwhile, modernist imaginaries of ordering 'unruly waters and humans' have become cornerstones of hydraulic-bureaucratic and capitalist development. They separate hydro/social worlds, sideline river-commons cultures, and deepen socio-environmental injustices. But myriad new water justice movements (NWJMs) proliferate: rooted, disruptive, transdisciplinary, multi-scalar coalitions that deploy alternative river-society ontologies, bridge South-North divides, and translate river-enlivening practices from local to global and vice-versa. This paper's framework conceptualizes 'riverhood' to engage with NWJMs and river commoning initiatives. We suggest four interrelated ontologies, situating river socionatures as arenas of material, social and symbolic co-production: 'river-as-ecosociety', 'river-as-territory', 'river-as-subject', and 'river-as-movement'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rutgerd Boelens
- Department Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, and CEDLA, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arturo Escobar
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Karen Bakker
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lena Hommes
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Erik Swyngedouw
- Department of Geography, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Edward H. Huijbens
- Cultural Geography Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sue Jackson
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jeroen Vos
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Leila M. Harris
- Institute for Resources Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - K.J. Joy
- SOPPECOM Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management, Pune, India
| | | | - Bibiana Duarte-Abadía
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Heila Lotz-Sisitka
- Department of Transformative Social Learning and Sustainability, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | | | - Joan Martínez-Alier
- ICTA, Department of Economics, Autonomous University Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Denisse Roca-Servat
- School of Social Sciences, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Tom Perreault
- Department of Geography, Syracuse University, Syracuse, USA
| | - Carles Sanchis-Ibor
- Valencian Centre for Irrigation Studies, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Diana Suhardiman
- Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Astrid Ulloa
- Department of Geography, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Arjen Wals
- Education and Learning Sciences, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands and Norwegian Life Sciences University, Ås, Norway
| | - Jaime Hoogesteger
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Tatiana Roa-Avendaño
- Censat Agua Viva, Bogotá, Colombia & CEDLA, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gert Jan Veldwisch
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Phil Woodhouse
- Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Karl M. Wantzen
- UNESCO Chair River Culture, CNRS UMR CITERES, Universities of Tours and of Strasbourg, France
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6
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Bruckermann T, Greving H, Stillfried M, Schumann A, Brandt M, Harms U. I'm fine with collecting data: Engagement profiles differ depending on scientific activities in an online community of a citizen science project. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275785. [PMID: 36215274 PMCID: PMC9551629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Digital technologies facilitate collaboration between citizens and scientists in citizen science (CS) projects. Besides the facilitation of data transmission and access, digital technologies promote novel formats for education in CS by including citizens in the process of collecting, analyzing, and discussing data. It is usually assumed that citizens profit more from CS the more they participate in the different steps of the scientific process. However, it has so far not been analyzed whether citizens actually engage in these steps. Therefore, we investigated citizens' actual engagement in different scientific steps online (i.e., data collection and data analysis) in two field studies of a CS project. We then compared them with other CS projects. We analyzed behavioral engagement patterns of N = 273 participants with activity logs and cluster analyses. Opportunities to engage in different steps of the scientific process increased participants' overall commitment compared to contributory CS projects. Yet, despite their increased commitment, participants' engagement was only more active for data collection but not for data analysis. We discuss how participants' perceived role as data collectors influenced their actual engagement in the scientific steps. To conclude, citizens may need support to change their role from data collectors to data inquirers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Bruckermann
- Institute of Education, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- IPN–Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Kiel, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Hannah Greving
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Milena Stillfried
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anke Schumann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Brandt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Harms
- IPN–Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Kiel, Germany
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7
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A Rubric to Evaluate Critical Science Education for Sustainability. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14148289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Social and environmental problems are increasing, as is the urgency that they be addressed in educational institutions to form critical, responsible and active citizens. In this training process, the dialogue between science education and education for sustainability is crucial if we want to understand socio-environmental problems in complex and uncertain contexts, which is why we define Critical Science Education for Sustainability (CSES). In addition to reflecting on which contents and methodologies are most appropriate in CSES, it is also necessary to reflect on the development of assessment instruments that allow diagnosing and evaluating the practice, materials and educational activities from such a perspective. Only with an appropriate instrument and suitable diagnosis can we make decisions to transform education and move towards CSES. This article presents an investigation based on the Delphi method with the participation of 37 international researchers, which resulted in a rubric, the Science, Technology and Society Assessment Tool. A rubric is a kind of evaluation tool that can assess education programs using qualitative or quantitative descriptors. This rubric is meant to analyze and guide critical science education in the context of teaching, policies and educational programs that favor sustainability.
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8
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Runkle BRK. Review: biological engineering for nature-based climate solutions. J Biol Eng 2022; 16:7. [PMID: 35351176 PMCID: PMC8966256 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-022-00287-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature-based Climate Solutions are landscape stewardship techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase soil or biomass carbon sequestration. These mitigation approaches to climate change present an opportunity to supplement energy sector decarbonization and provide co-benefits in terms of ecosystem services and landscape productivity. The biological engineering profession must be involved in the research and implementation of these solutions-developing new tools to aid in decision-making, methods to optimize across different objectives, and new messaging frameworks to assist in prioritizing among different options. Furthermore, the biological engineering curriculum should be redesigned to reflect the needs of carbon-based landscape management. While doing so, the biological engineering community has an opportunity to embed justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within both the classroom and the profession. Together these transformations will enhance our capacity to use sustainable landscape management as an active tool to mitigate the risks of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R K Runkle
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA.
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9
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Weilhoefer CL, Schmits S. Leveraging remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic to enhance student understanding of biodiversity. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8729. [PMID: 35356567 PMCID: PMC8938226 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated whether individual nature-based ecological (NBE) study used in tandem with group collaboration enhanced undergraduate student understanding of ecological concepts and pro-environmental perceptions. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we developed a multiweek unit on the latitude diversity gradient (LDG) for fully online instruction that leveraged the unique situation of students learning in disparate geographic locations. Student understanding of the LDG and pro-environmental perceptions were assessed with surveys administered both pre- and post-activity in an introductory-level biology laboratory course. Student understanding of the geographic location where biodiversity is the highest was high prior to the start of the laboratory unit and exhibited only a small improvement after the unit. In contrast, students' higher order thinking around the LDG was enhanced by the lab activity. Student environmental perceptions shifted toward ecocentric views and away from anthropocentric views after the laboratory unit. The greatest gains in ecological understanding and shifts toward ecocentric viewpoints occurred in the group of students who visited their field sites most often. Our results provide further evidence as to the value of NBE for the introductory biology laboratory, even in an online learning setting. The lab unit described in this study provides a potential approach to teaching ecology in an online format that could easily be adapted to fit the needs of a particular curriculum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Schmits
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PortlandPortlandOregonUSA
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10
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Cebrián G, Moraleda Á, Galán-Casado D, Andújar-Molina O. A Preliminary Study Comparing Pre-service and In-service School Principals' Self-Perception of Distributed Leadership Competencies in Relation to Teaching and Managerial Experience. Front Psychol 2022; 13:720459. [PMID: 35250700 PMCID: PMC8892135 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.720459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
So far little are the studies that have focussed on exploring school principals' self-conception of their distributed leadership competencies in relation to their managerial and teaching experience. To do so, an exploratory research was carried out with a sample of 163 pre-service and in-service school principals studying a Master's programme in School Management, Innovation and Leadership at a Spanish University. Data were obtained by using an Ad hoc questionnaire of 7 units of competence and 5 proficiency levels for each unit, based on an existing rubric to analyse students' self-conception of their development of leadership competencies. The findings of this preliminary study show statistically significant differences in the self-perception in all dimensions associated to Managerial Experience (ME) and Teaching Experience (TE) in schools. Study participants with ME showed statistically higher levels than those who had non-ME in four of seven dimensions: lead the school organisation, address the needs of the students, manage the organisation of the school organisation, and manage administrative work. Similar results were obtained in relation to TE versus non-TE were statistically significant differences are found in six dimensions: manage pedagogical and didactic resources, attend to the needs of students, manage didactic strategies, manage the organisation of the school organisation, manage the link between the school organisation and the community, and lead the school organisation. This study shows the importance of teaching and professional experience to acquire leadership competencies in education, therefore the school principal should also be a teacher. This preliminary study provides insights into the relevance of providing pre-service or in-service school principals with training and professional development programmes on sustainability distributed leadership that enable them to genuinely engage the school community, develop innovative pedagogies and lead the process of change toward building more sustainable schools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Cebrián
- Department of Pedagogy, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Álvaro Moraleda
- Faculty of Education, Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Galán-Casado
- Facultad de Educación, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
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11
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Saving Species in a Snap: On the Feasibility and Efficacy of Augmented Reality-based Wildlife Interactions for Conservation. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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12
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Informal learning in nature education promotes ecological conservation behaviors of nature reserve employees—A preliminary study in China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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13
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Transportation Accessibility Evaluation of Educational Institutions Conducting Field Environmental Education Activities in Ecological Protection Areas: A Case Study of Zhuhai City. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13169392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
With the development of society, an increasing number of educational institutions have adopted field environmental education activities rather than classroom education. Field education can not only enhance students’ environmental awareness but also enable them to fully understand environmental protection knowledge. Ecological protection areas are important bases for educational institutions to organize students to implement field environmental education. Focusing on Zhuhai City, this study explored spatial relationships between educational institutions and ecological protection zones using Kernel density estimation, the two-step floating catchment area method, and Thiessen polygons. Specific actions included measuring transportation accessibility and dividing the service scopes of ecological protection zones to provide field environmental education for educational institutions. These actions provided a helpful reference for educational institutions to conduct field environmental education activities effectively. The results showed the following: (1) Schools in Zhuhai City were mainly located in subdistricts and presented a spatial layout of “one primary and two secondary.” Students were mainly concentrated in villages and towns and presented a spatial layout of “one core and two centers.” Ecological protection zones were scattered in the township area; their spatial relationships with educational institutions were scattered. Meanwhile, their spatial relationship with the number of students was relatively concentrated. (2) In terms of the accessibility of educational institutions to ecological protection zones, the educational institutions in the northeast of Xiangzhou District and the middle of Doumen District had higher accessibility, while the educational institutions in the middle and south of Zhuhai City had lower accessibility, and the educational institutions in the middle of Xiangzhou District had the lowest accessibility. (3) Based on accessibility, the service scopes of field environmental education activities in ecological protection zones were divided into 15 blocks. Here, the educational institutions located in Xiangzhou District, the western part of Jinwan District, and western, middle, and eastern parts of Doumen District had relatively strong spatial dispersions with the ecological protection zones within their blocks, while the educational institutions located in the central and eastern parts of Jinwan District and northern and southern parts of Doumen District had relatively weak spatial dispersions with the ecological protection zones within their blocks.
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14
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Evaluating an Educational Intervention Designed to Foster Environmental Citizenship among Undergraduate University Students. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13158219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Taking its primary interest in active environmental citizenship, this paper aims at evaluating a case of an educational intervention designed to foster environmental citizenship among undergraduate students at a technological university. The study employs a survey methodology implementing a recently validated environmental citizenship questionnaire. A randomized pre-group –post-group quasi-experimental survey design explores students’ environmental citizenship attributes before and after the intervention course, ‘Sustainable Development’, in comparison to students who participated in a general elective course, ‘Media Philosophy’. The results show that the participation in the intervention course induced positive change in students’ environmental citizenship in comparison to the control group. Additional analysis indicates that environmental citizenship is significantly related to environmental attitudes, nature experiences during childhood and adolescence, and gender. The article provides a timely contribution shedding light on how specific pedagogical approaches in higher education can foster environmental citizenship.
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15
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Van Haeften S, Milic A, Addison‐Smith B, Butcher C, Davies JM. Grass Gazers: Using citizen science as a tool to facilitate practical and online science learning for secondary school students during the COVID-19 lockdown. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3488-3500. [PMID: 33362921 PMCID: PMC7753511 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted educational systems worldwide during 2020, including primary and secondary schooling. To enable students of a local secondary school in Brisbane, Queensland, to continue with their practical agricultural science learning and facilitate online learning, a "Grass Gazers" citizen science scoping project was designed and rapidly implemented as a collaboration between the school and a multidisciplinary university research group focused on pollen allergy. Here, we reflect on the process of developing and implementing this project from the perspective of the school and the university. A learning package including modules on pollen identification, tracking grass species, measuring field greenness, using a citizen science data entry platform, forensic palynology, as well as video guides, risk assessment and feedback forms were generated. Junior agriculture science students participated in the learning via online lessons and independent data collection in their own local neighborhood and/or school grounds situated within urban environments. The university research group and school coordinator, operating in their own distributed work environments, had to develop, source, adopt, and/or adapt material rapidly to meet the unique requirements of the project. The experience allowed two-way knowledge exchange between the secondary and tertiary education sectors. Participating students were introduced to real-world research and were able to engage in outdoor learning during a time when online, indoor, desk-based learning dominated their studies. The unique context of restrictions imposed by the social isolation policies, as well as government Public Health and Department of Education directives, allowed the team to respond by adapting teaching and research activity to develop and trial learning modules and citizen science tools. The project provided a focus to motivate and connect teachers, academic staff, and school students during a difficult circumstance. Extension of this citizen project for the purposes of research and secondary school learning has the potential to offer ongoing benefits for grassland ecology data acquisition and student exposure to real-world science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical ScienceCentre Immunity and Infection Control and Centre for the EnvironmentSchool of Biomedical ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical ScienceCentre Immunity and Infection Control and Centre for the EnvironmentSchool of Biomedical ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Beth Addison‐Smith
- School of Biomedical ScienceCentre Immunity and Infection Control and Centre for the EnvironmentSchool of Biomedical ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Christopher Butcher
- Agricultural Farm and Science Innovation CentreCorinda State High SchoolBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Janet Mary Davies
- School of Biomedical ScienceCentre Immunity and Infection Control and Centre for the EnvironmentSchool of Biomedical ScienceQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQldAustralia
- Office of ResearchMetro North Hospital and Health ServiceBrisbaneQldAustralia
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Klütsch CFC, Aspholm PE, Polikarpova N, Veisblium O, Bjørn T, Wikan A, Gonzalez V, Hagen SB. Studying phenological phenomena in subarctic biomes with international school pupils as citizen scientists. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3501-3515. [PMID: 33898006 PMCID: PMC8057335 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Citizen science can facilitate in-depth learning for pupils and students, contribute to scientific research, and permit civic participation. Here, we describe the development of the transnational school-based citizen science project Phenology of the North Calotte. Its primary goal is to introduce pupils (age 12-15; grades 7-10) in northern Norway, Russia, and Finland to the local and global challenges of climate change resulting in life cycle changes at different trophic and ecosystem levels in their backyards. Partnerships between regional scientists and staff from NIBIO Svanhovd, State nature reserves, national parks, and teachers and pupils from regional schools aim to engage pupils in project-based learning. The project uses standardized protocols, translated into the different languages of participating schools. The phenological observations are centered around documenting clearly defined life cycle phases (e.g., first appearance of species, flowering, ripening, leaf yellowing, snow fall, and melt). The observations are collected either on paper and are subsequently submitted manually to an open-source online database or submitted directly via a newly developed mobile app. In the long term, the database is anticipated to contribute to research studying changes in phenology at different trophic levels. In principle, guided school-based citizen science projects have the potential to contribute to increased environmental awareness and education and thereby to transformative learning at the societal level while contributing to scientific progress of understudied biomes, like the northern taiga and (sub)arctic tundra. However, differences in school systems and funding insecurity for some schools have been major prohibiting factors for long-term retention of pupils/schools in the program. Project-based and multidisciplinary learning, although pedagogically desired, has been partially difficult to implement in participating schools, pointing to the need of structural changes in national school curricula and funding schemes as well as continuous offers for training and networking for teachers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelya F. C. Klütsch
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Environment and Natural ResourcesÅsNorway
| | - Paul Eric Aspholm
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Forest and Forest ResourcesÅsNorway
| | | | | | - Tor‐Arne Bjørn
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Forest and Forest ResourcesÅsNorway
| | - Anne Wikan
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Environment and Natural ResourcesÅsNorway
| | - Victoria Gonzalez
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Environment and Natural ResourcesÅsNorway
| | - Snorre B. Hagen
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Environment and Natural ResourcesÅsNorway
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Bailey C, Farrell A, Purty T, Taylor A, Disney J. Development of Privacy Features on Anecdata.org, a Free Citizen Science Platform for Collecting Datasets for Climate Change and Related Projects. FRONTIERS IN CLIMATE 2021; 3:620100. [PMID: 34541525 PMCID: PMC8444998 DOI: 10.3389/fclim.2021.620100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Anecdata website and its corresponding mobile app provide unique features to meet the needs of a wide variety of diverse citizen science projects from across the world. The platform has been developed with the help of continuous feedback from community partners, project leaders, and website users and currently hosts more than 200 projects. Over 8,000 registered users have contributed more than 30,000 images and over 50,000 observations since the platform became open to the public in 2014. From its inception, one of the core tenets of Anecdata's mission has been to make data from citizen science projects freely accessible to project participants and the general public, and in the platform's first few years, it followed a completely open data access model. As the platform has grown, hosting ever more projects, we have found that this model does not meet all project needs, especially where endangered species, property access rights, participant safety in the field, and personal privacy are concerned. We first introduced features for data and user privacy as part of "All About Arsenic," a National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA)-funded project at MDI Biological Laboratory, which engages middle and high school teachers and students from schools across Maine and New Hampshire in sampling their home well water for analysis of arsenic and other heavy metals. In order to host this project on Anecdata, we developed features for spatial privacy or "geoprivacy" to conceal the coordinates of samplers' homes, partial data redaction tools we call "private fields" to withhold certain sample registration questions from public datasets, and "participant anonymity" to conceal which user account uploaded an observation. We describe the impetus for the creation of these features, challenges we encountered, and our technical approach. While these features were originally developed for the purposes of a public health and science literacy project, they are now available to all project leaders setting up projects on Anecdata.org and have been adopted by a number of projects, including Mass Audubon's Eastern Meadowlark Survey, South Carolina Aquarium's SeaRise, and Coastal Signs of the Seasons (SOS) Monitoring projects.
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Ostermann‐Miyashita E, Pernat N, König HJ. Citizen science as a bottom‐up approach to address human–wildlife conflicts: From theories and methods to practical implications. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emu‐Felicitas Ostermann‐Miyashita
- Junior Research Group Human‐Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Müncheberg Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer‐Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences Humboldt Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Nadja Pernat
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Research Area 2: Land Use and Governance Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Müncheberg Germany
| | - Hannes J. König
- Junior Research Group Human‐Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Müncheberg Germany
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Mikołajczak K, Lees AC, Barlow J, Sinclair F, Trindade de Almeida O, Souza AC, Parry L. Who knows, who cares? Untangling ecological knowledge and nature connection among Amazonian colonist farmers. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Mikołajczak
- Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University Lancaster UK
- School of Life Sciences Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge UK
| | - Alexander C. Lees
- Department of Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University Lancaster UK
- Department of Biology Federal University of Lavras Lavras Brazil
| | - Frazer Sinclair
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | | | | | - Luke Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University Lancaster UK
- Núcleo de Altos Estudos Amazônicos Federal University of Pará Belém Brazil
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Learning Plant Biodiversity in Nature: The Use of the Citizen–Science Platform iNaturalist as a Collaborative Tool in Secondary Education. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13020735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Biodiversity is a concept of great scientific interest and social value studied in different subjects of the secondary education curriculum. Citizen–science programs may contribute to increasing the engagement of students when studying biodiversity. This work aimed to explore the use of the citizen–science platform iNaturalist as a complement of the elaboration of herbaria in an outdoor activity for 4th course 16-year-old students in the Basaula Reserve. The platform iNaturalist was chosen for its suitability to develop collaborative projects in an educational context. The Basaula project was created and 122 students were trained to record plant species in an outdoor activity. A total of 32 species were recorded, among them the most abundant were beech (Fagus sylvatica) and holm oak (Quercus ilex). The students positively evaluated their experience, highlighting its adequacy to record biodiversity data and make a virtual herbarium. Students valued the innovative character of iNaturalist and its usefulness for research but also the opportunity to integrate mobile devices in school education. We concluded that iNaturalist is a valuable tool to carry out collaborative projects dealing with biodiversity in secondary education.
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Groulx M, Winegardner A, Brisbois MC, Fishback LA, Linde R, Levy K, Booth A. Place and transformative learning in climate change focused community science. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2021-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Community science involves the co-creation of scientific pursuits, learning, and outcomes and is presented as a transformative practice for community engagement and environmental governance. Emphasizing critical reflection, this study adopts Mezirow’s conception of transformative learning to theorize the transformative capacity of community science. Findings from interviews with participants in a community science program reveal critical reflection, although instances acknowledging attitudes and beliefs without challenging personal assumptions were more common. Program elements most likely to prompt participants to identify beliefs, values, and assumptions include data collection and interaction in team dynamics, whereas data collection in a novel environment was most likely to prompt participants to challenge their beliefs, values, and assumptions. A review of 71 climate change focused programs further demonstrates the extent that program designs support transformative learning. Key features of the community science landscape like the broad inclusion of stated learning objectives offer a constructive starting point for deepening transformative capacity, while the dominance of contributory program designs stands as a likely roadblock. Overall, this study contributes by applying a developed field to theorize transformation in relation to community science and by highlighting where facilitators should focus program design efforts to better promote transformation toward environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Groulx
- School of Planning and Sustainability, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Amanda Winegardner
- Churchill Northern Studies Centre, P.O. Box 610, Churchill, MB R0B 0E0, Canada
| | - Marie Claire Brisbois
- Science Policy Research Unit, Business School, University of Sussex, Jubilee Building, Falmer Brighton, BN1 9SL, United Kingdom
| | - Lee Ann Fishback
- Churchill Northern Studies Centre, P.O. Box 610, Churchill, MB R0B 0E0, Canada
| | - Rachelle Linde
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Kristin Levy
- School of Planning and Sustainability, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Annie Booth
- School of Planning and Sustainability, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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Mathematics Applied to the Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: A Necessary Relationship of Dependence. EDUCATION SCIENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/educsci10110339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Higher education must include training in sustainability to make all actors aware of the serious problems our planet is facing. Mathematics plays an important role in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and at the same time these allow working with real situations in the subject of mathematics, providing the student with active learning. Sustainability is used to make the student see the usefulness of mathematics while instilling values and attitudes towards it. A set of problems have been raised during the academic year that are solved with the developed mathematical techniques, and through a survey, the students’ perceptions about the usefulness of mathematics to reach the goals established in the SDG has been evaluated. The results show that, regardless of the student’s gender, the student’s assessment of the usefulness of this subject in solving real problems improved. It has been observed that this teaching methodology has helped to motivate students and even those who do not like this subject have improved their appreciation of it.
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Cultivating Water Literacy in STEM Education: Undergraduates’ Socio-Scientific Reasoning about Socio-Hydrologic Issues. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12102857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Water-literate individuals effectively reason about the hydrologic concepts that underlie socio-hydrological issues (SHI), but functional water literacy also requires concomitant reasoning about the societal, non-hydrological aspects of SHI. Therefore, this study explored the potential for the socio-scientific reasoning construct (SSR), which includes consideration of the complexity of issues, the perspectives of stakeholders involved, the need for ongoing inquiry, skepticism about information sources, and the affordances of science toward the resolution of the issue, to aid undergraduates in acquiring such reasoning skills. In this fixed, embedded mixed methods study (N = 91), we found SHI to hold great potential as meaningful contexts for the development of water literacy, and that SSR is a viable and useful construct for better understanding undergraduates’ reasoning about the hydrological and non-hydrological aspects of SHI. The breadth of reasoning sources to which participants referred and the depth of the SSR they exhibited in justifying those sources varied within and between the dimensions of SSR. A number of participants’ SSR was highly limited. Implications for operationalizing, measuring, and describing undergraduate students’ SSR, as well as for supporting its development for use in research and the classroom, are discussed.
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25
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Lloyd TJ, Fuller RA, Oliver JL, Tulloch AI, Barnes M, Steven R. Estimating the spatial coverage of citizen science for monitoring threatened species. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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The Effect of a Nature-Based Environmental Education Program on Children’s Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors: A Randomized Experiment with Primary Schools. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12176817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The evidence about the effects of nature-based instruction on pro-environmentalism is uncompelling, mainly due to a lack of controlled experiments. This hinders causal claims and the provision of intervention guidelines. We present an experiment examining the impact of a nature-based environmental education (NBEE) program included in the school curriculum on children’s environmental attitudes (EA) and behaviors (EB). Children who followed the program through traditional instruction were used as a control group. Seven Spanish primary schools participated in the program and school classes were randomly assigned to the NBEE program (experimental group, N = 516) or the environmental education (EE) through traditional instruction (control group, N = 218). Our results indicate that children’s EA increased more in the NBEE group than in the control group. On average, EB remained virtually the same in both groups of children across time. In light of our findings, we encourage the promotion of a nature-based pedagogy in formal education to enhance children’s environmental attitudes.
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Abd Rahman N, Zabidi FNM, Halim L. Integration of Tauhidic Elements for Environmental Education from the Teachers’ Perspectives. RELIGIONS 2020; 11:394. [DOI: 10.3390/rel11080394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Serious environmental damage calls for the need of complementary approaches in applying tauhidic elements for environmental education. Hence, this study examined how the practices of integrating tauhidic elements for environmental education are carried out in two Islamic science boarding schools. A qualitative study was conducted by interviewing two science teachers and two Islamic education teachers from each school and an environmental education coordinator for data triangulation. The participants of this study were sampled using purposive sampling. The interview data transcribed were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings show that the integration of tauhidic elements in the school curriculum takes place with the support of the teachers and school administrators. However, the integration of tauhidic elements for environmental education only takes place through two approaches, namely through the inculcation of values from the teachers’ advice and actions as role models, as well as through the activities of seeking the meaning of the verses in the al-Quran or the Hadith that are related to environmental concepts. The findings also demonstrate that the students already have good environmental knowledge, awareness, and interest in nature, but require enhancements concerning their practices of environmental conservation. In sum, integrating tauhidic elements for environmental education requires the cooperation of science teachers and Islamic education teachers as well as strong support from other subject teachers and environmental clubs in schools.
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28
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URAL E, DADLI G. The Effect of Problem-based Learning on 7th-grade Students’ Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Reflective Thinking Skills in Environmental Education. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION IN SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH 2020. [DOI: 10.21891/jeseh.705145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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29
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System Dynamics Applied to Terraced Agroecosystems: The Case Study of Assaragh (Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco). WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12061693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Terraced agroecosystems (TAS)—apart from being an important cultural heritage element—are considered vital for sustainable water resource management and climate change adaptation measures. However, this traditional form of agriculture, with direct implications in food security at a local scale, has been suffering from abandonment or degradation worldwide. In light of this, the need to fully comprehend the complex linkage of their abandonment with different driving forces is essential. The identification of these dynamics makes possible an appropriate intervention with local initiatives and policies on a larger scale. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to introduce a comprehensive multidisciplinary framework that maps the dynamics of the investigated TAS’s abandonment, by defining cause–effect relationships on a hydrogeological, ecological and social level, through tools from System Dynamics studies. This methodology is implemented in the case of Assaragh TAS, a traditional oasis agroecosystem in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas, characterized by data scarcity. Through field studies, interviews, questionnaires and freely accessible databases, the TAS’s abandonment, leading to a loss in agrobiodiversity, is linked to social rather than climatic drives. Additionally, measures that can counteract the phenomenon and strengthen the awareness of the risks associated with climate change and food security are proposed.
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30
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Hildenbrand ZL, Carlton DD, Wicker AP, Habib S, Granados PS, Schug KA. Characterizing anecdotal claims of groundwater contamination in shale energy basins. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 713:136618. [PMID: 31958728 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The increased societal monitoring of unconventional oil and gas development (UD) has brought forth tremendous scrutiny over the environmental stewardship and subsequent public health impacts of surface and sub-surface activities. Concerns over groundwater quality in shale energy basins have prompted concerned citizens into monitoring UD activities for a series of qualitative parameters, and even coordinating sampling efforts for chemical analysis. Here we present a list of analytical parameters, hierarchically structured to guide concerned citizens through an efficient and cost-effective monitoring program. Utilizing this multi-step testing regime, we assessed groundwater quality from 36 private water wells involved in 19 anecdotal claims of alleged UD-related contamination across the Barnett, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, and Marcellus Shale formations in the United States. Our analytical findings aligned with the landowners' accounts of their situation in only 5 of the 36 collected samples, with several cases revealing environmental abnormalities that were unbeknownst to the landowners but likely unrelated to UD activities. These data are some of the first to assess the relationship between landowner perception and analytical determination in a cohort of highly variable anecdotal cases of alleged groundwater contamination, revealing a notable disconnect that is likely attributable to a myriad of societal and environmental factors. The analytical modalities presented here also serve as a step-wise method in a weight of evidence approach to assess the presence or absence of anthropogenic contamination under the most variable hydrogeological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zacariah L Hildenbrand
- Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States of America; Inform Environmental, LLC, Dallas, TX 75206, United States of America.
| | - Doug D Carlton
- Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States of America; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States of America
| | - A Paige Wicker
- Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States of America; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States of America
| | - Sabrina Habib
- Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States of America; University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | | | - Kevin A Schug
- Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States of America; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States of America.
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The Relation between Knowledge Acquisition and Environmental Values within the Scope of a Biodiversity Learning Module. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12052036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Global biodiversity declines at unprecedented rates, mainly due to human-induced environmental change. Biodiversity conservation is, thus, highly dependent on responsible and sustainable citizenship. Educational efforts are regarded as an important means to foster awareness and pro-environmental behavior. The present study monitors two factors considered to be particularly relevant for promoting sustainable behavior: cognitive knowledge and environmental values. 205 students (Mage = 15.3) participated in a biodiversity education module including a citizen science (CS) activity on DNA barcoding. With a pre-post-retention design, we measured cognitive achievement and environmental values, which are expressed by environmental utilization (UTL) and preservation (PRE) as well as the appreciation for nature (APR). Overall, we found positive relations between knowledge and PRE as well as APR, whereas UTL was negatively related to knowledge. In the whole module and the sub-modules, cognitive achievement followed the usual pattern, with a substantial short-term knowledge increase from pre-test (T0) to post-test (T1) following a moderate decrease in the retention test (T2). Unexpectedly, a considerable sub-sample (n = 103) deviated from the assumed knowledge drop at T2 and showed an additional knowledge gain in a sub-module directly focusing on the CS activity. Students in this sub-sample revealed significantly higher PRE and APR scores compared to the rest of the students. We discuss these findings in relation to the implications for educational CS.
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Between Science Education and Environmental Education: How Science Motivation Relates to Environmental Values. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12051968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Science education and environmental education are important gates to prepare the next generation for our society’s current and upcoming challenges. While in the informal sector, environmental education acts independently, on the formal side, science education hosts environmental issues within its interdisciplinary context. As both educational efforts traditionally bear different emphases, the question may arise of whether formal science classes can act as an appropriate host. Against the background of the declining motivation to learn science in secondary school, possible synergies between both educational efforts may have vanished. For an investigation of such linkages between science motivation and environmental perception, we monitored adolescents’ motivation to learn sciences and their environmental values. By analyzing data from 429 Irish secondary school students, we reconfirmed existing scales by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and investigated potential relations via SEM. Besides gender differences, we identified a significant relationship between positive ‘green’ attitude sets and the individual motivation to learn science—positive environmental preferences predict a high science motivation, primarily intrinsic motivation. Taking advantage of this relationship, individual motivation may find support from environmental educational initiatives with the focus on green values. Especially girls, who evidentially tend to have a lower motivation in science learning, may be addressed in that way.
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33
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Angeler DG, Allen CR, Carnaval A. Convergence science in the Anthropocene: Navigating the known and unknown. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David G. Angeler
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
- School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska – Lincoln Lincoln NE USA
| | - Craig R. Allen
- Center for Resilience in Working Agricultural Landscapes University of Nebraska – Lincoln Lincoln NE USA
| | - Ana Carnaval
- Department of Biology The City College of New York New York NY USA
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York New York NY USA
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A PISA-2015 Comparative Meta-Analysis between Singapore and Finland: Relations of Students' Interest in Science, Perceived ICT Competence, and Environmental Awareness and Optimism. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16245157. [PMID: 31861137 PMCID: PMC6950301 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16245157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study is twofold: (1) to identify a factor structure between variables-interest in broad science topics, perceived information and communications technology (ICT) competence, environmental awareness and optimism; and (2) to explore the relations between these variables at the country level. The first part of the aim is addressed using exploratory factor analysis with data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) for 15-year-old students from Singapore and Finland. The results show that a comparable structure with four factors was verified in both countries. Correlation analyses and linear regression were used to address the second part of the aim. The results show that adolescents’ interest in broad science topics can predict perceived ICT competence. Their interest in broad science topics and perceived ICT competence can predict environmental awareness in both countries. However, there is difference in predicting environmental optimism. Singaporean students’ interest in broad science topics and their perceived ICT competences are positive predictors, whereas environmental awareness is a negative predictor. Finnish students’ environmental awareness negatively predicted environmental optimism.
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Soanes K, Cranney K, Dade MC, Edwards AM, Palavalli-Nettimi R, Doherty TS. How to work with children and animals: A guide for school-based citizen science in wildlife research. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kylie Soanes
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Kate Cranney
- Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Marie C. Dade
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Amy M. Edwards
- Department of Ecology; Environment and Evolution; La Trobe University; Bundoora Victoria Australia
| | | | - Tim S. Doherty
- Centre for Integrative Ecology; School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus); Deakin University; Geelong Victoria Australia
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36
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Exploring the Related Factors in Students’ Academic Achievement for the Sustainable Education of Rural Areas. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11215974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
To improve and continue educational sustainability development, we expect to understand the learning problems of disadvantaged students for sustainability in rural areas. This study collected an integrated dataset, including 16 features with 883 records, from an elementary school in a rural area in Taiwan. Then, this paper proposes an integrated features selection method to integrate four different feature selection methods for finding the key features of academic achievement, and utilizes a statistical test to explore the differences in various student backgrounds in the nine key features and the graduated score. The statistical test shows that between the ordinary students and disadvantaged students, there were differences in the key features and the graduated score, and this paper also found that the five groups of disadvantaged students exhibit differences in academic achievements. To determine these differences, this study carried out interviews on six different students’ identity backgrounds, and the majority consensus of six groups of students was summarized as personal, family, and school aspects. The results show that there were many learning problems in this rural elementary school: (1) the education levels of most of the parents (72.3%) were below the college level; (2) 73% of parents were staff members and workers; (3) 26.4% of students in the school were disadvantaged; and (4) the age range of student’s parents was from 30 to 64 years. For the sustainable education of rural areas, this study suggests that the educational management must invest greater resources and make more effective policies a priority for teachers in rural areas and that teachers must pay more attention to aboriginal students in terms of learning motivation and must actively interact with their parents.
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Research Collaboration of Austrian and Indian Teenagers in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11185094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Today’s environmental challenges have been determined and exacerbated by human behavior. It is imperative that education develops learning-settings that enable students to make their individual lifestyles more sustainable. The aim of this paper is to examine the effect of the research-education-collaboration ‘AustrIndia-4QOL’ (Teenagers from Austria and India Perform Research on Quality of Life) on the teenagers’ awareness of the importance of environmental aspects in regards to quality of life, and on their willingness to act towards more sustainable lifestyles. Therefore, the results from a collaboration via social media and from a collaboration with additional face-to-face workshops were analyzed. The question of whether an increased awareness or willingness to act is followed by a change of real action after the project was also investigated. The results indicate that conducting education for sustainable development requires long term educational engagement, and that unintended effects cannot be excluded.
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How Can Teachers Be Encouraged to Commit to Sustainability? Evaluation of a Teacher-Training Experience in Spain. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11164309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to design and evaluate an experience for future teachers focused on the participatory search for sustainability through role play so that outcomes related to improving the way they see the world and their commitment to mitigate climate change could be analysed. The study was carried out with a socio-critical focus, using a qualitative approach. To this effect, semi-open interviews were conducted, and their results were codified and studied using content analysis. The outcomes show that this type of educational experience can contribute to improving commitment to climate change and new, more sustainable ways of understanding the world—starting with improving the training of free-thinking, discerning people who are able to use information and collaborate in solving socio-environmental problems. Proposals based on participatory and experiential learning, fostering ethical considerations and the training of people who are more critical and discerning, should be the basis of new models of Environmental Education for Sustainability that seek to educate a society capable of addressing present and future socio-environmental challenges.
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Advancing towards a Transformational Professional Competence Model through Reflective Learning and Sustainability: The Case of Mathematics Teacher Education. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11154039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to begin to characterize the elements of teacher educators’ professional practice that promote the transformation of prior knowledge, experiences, and system beliefs into professional competence, based on reflective learning and education for sustainability. To obtain data, 30 class sessions of a mathematics education teacher were analyzed. Five elements of the lecturer’s practice were identified: (1) presents real action; (2) uncovers students’ values and preconceptions and considers them; (3) systematizes them and contrasts them with the ‘ideal’; (4) helps to understand the perspective offered by mathematical and sustainability concepts; (5) helps students develop the new perspective acquired through grounded and reasoned action plans. A key conclusion of the study is that it is prior knowledge, experiences, and beliefs which are transformed if the two agents involved in the learning process (pre-service teachers and university lecturers) are synchronized.
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Participant Outcomes of Biodiversity Citizen Science Projects: A Systematic Literature Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11102780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Citizen science is becoming increasingly popular as a format in environmental and sustainability education. Citizen science not only allows researchers to gather large amounts of biodiversity-related data, it also has the potential to engage the public in biodiversity research. Numerous citizen science projects have emerged that assume that participation in the project affects participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. We investigated what evidence really exists about the outcomes of biodiversity citizen science projects on the side of the individual participants. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed research articles published up to and including 2017. We found evidence for various individual participant outcomes. The outcome reported most often was a gain in knowledge. Other outcomes, found in several articles, referred to changes in behavior or attitudes. Outcomes reported less often were new skills, increased self-efficacy and interest, and a variety of other personal outcomes. We discuss the research design and methods used in the reviewed studies und formulate specific recommendations for future research. We conclude that citizen science is a promising option for environmental and sustainability education focusing on biodiversity. Partnerships between natural and social scientists in the design and evaluation of projects would allow future biodiversity citizen science projects to utilize their full educational potential.
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41
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Gupta R, LaMarca N, Rank SJ, Flinner K. The Environment as a Pathway to Science Learning for K–12 Learners—A Case Study of the E-STEM Movement. ECOPSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1089/eco.2018.0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kate Flinner
- New Knowledge Organization Ltd., New York, New York
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42
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Steffen W, Rockström J, Richardson K, Lenton TM, Folke C, Liverman D, Summerhayes CP, Barnosky AD, Cornell SE, Crucifix M, Donges JF, Fetzer I, Lade SJ, Scheffer M, Winkelmann R, Schellnhuber HJ. Trajectories of the Earth System in the Anthropocene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:8252-8259. [PMID: 30082409 PMCID: PMC6099852 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1810141115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 451] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We explore the risk that self-reinforcing feedbacks could push the Earth System toward a planetary threshold that, if crossed, could prevent stabilization of the climate at intermediate temperature rises and cause continued warming on a "Hothouse Earth" pathway even as human emissions are reduced. Crossing the threshold would lead to a much higher global average temperature than any interglacial in the past 1.2 million years and to sea levels significantly higher than at any time in the Holocene. We examine the evidence that such a threshold might exist and where it might be. If the threshold is crossed, the resulting trajectory would likely cause serious disruptions to ecosystems, society, and economies. Collective human action is required to steer the Earth System away from a potential threshold and stabilize it in a habitable interglacial-like state. Such action entails stewardship of the entire Earth System-biosphere, climate, and societies-and could include decarbonization of the global economy, enhancement of biosphere carbon sinks, behavioral changes, technological innovations, new governance arrangements, and transformed social values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will Steffen
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Johan Rockström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katherine Richardson
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Timothy M Lenton
- Earth System Science Group, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, EX4 4QE Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Carl Folke
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Science, SE-10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Diana Liverman
- School of Geography and Development, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
| | - Colin P Summerhayes
- Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge University, CB2 1ER Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony D Barnosky
- Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Sarah E Cornell
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michel Crucifix
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Belgian National Fund of Scientific Research, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jonathan F Donges
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Research Domain Earth System Analysis, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ingo Fetzer
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Steven J Lade
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Marten Scheffer
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6700AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ricarda Winkelmann
- Research Domain Earth System Analysis, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
- Research Domain Earth System Analysis, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
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Stevenson KT, Peterson MN, Dunn RR. Leveraging natural capital to solve the shared education and conservation crisis. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2018; 32:490-492. [PMID: 29068497 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn T Stevenson
- Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Box 800, Raleigh, NC 27604, U.S.A
| | - M Nils Peterson
- Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology Program, Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Box 7646, Raleigh, NC 27695, U.S.A
| | - Robert R Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, 231 David Clark Labs, Raleigh, NC 27695, U.S.A
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark
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Dettweiler U, Lauterbach G, Becker C, Simon P. A Bayesian Mixed-Methods Analysis of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction through Outdoor Learning and Its Influence on Motivational Behavior in Science Class. Front Psychol 2018; 8:2235. [PMID: 29312080 PMCID: PMC5742242 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Research has shown that outdoor educational interventions can lead to students' increased self-regulated motivational behavior. In this study, we searched into the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (BPN), i.e., autonomy support, the learners' experience of competence, and relatedness, both within the peer group and with their teachers, through outdoor learning. From 2014 to 2016, n = 281 students attended “research weeks” at a Student Science Lab in the Alpine National Park Berchtesgaden (Germany). The program is a curriculum-based one-week residential course, centered on a 2-day research expedition. Both before and after the course, students completed a composite questionnaire addressing BPN-satisfaction and overall motivational behavior in relation to the Self-Determination Index (SDI). At the latter time-point, students also reported on their experiences during the intervention. Questionnaire data was analyzed using a set of Bayesian General Linear Models with random effects. Those quantitative measures have been complemented by and contextualized with a set of qualitative survey methods. The results showed that the basic psychological needs influence the motivational behavior in both contexts equally, however on different scale levels. The basic needs satisfaction in the outdoor context is decisively higher than indoors. Moreover, the increment of competence-experience from the school context to the hands-on outdoor program appears to have the biggest impact to students' increased intrinsic motivation during the intervention. Increased autonomy support, student-teacher relations, and student-student relations have much less or no influence on the overall difference of motivational behavior. Gender does not influence the results. The contextualization partly supports those results and provide further explanation for the students' increased self-regulation in the outdoors. They add some explanatory thrust to the argument that outdoor teaching, be it during a residential week, or during occasional but regular sessions as integral part of the “normal” teaching, fosters intrinsic motivational behavior in science with lower secondary students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Dettweiler
- Facutly of Arts and Education, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Gabriele Lauterbach
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph Becker
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Perikles Simon
- Faculty of Social Science, Media and Sport, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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Abstract
The quality of people’s knowledge of nature has always had a significant influence on their approach to wildlife and nature conservation. However, direct interactions of people with nature are greatly limited nowadays, especially because of urbanization and modern lifestyles. As a result, our isolation from the natural world has been growing. Here, we present an example of a state-of-the-art Citizen Science project with its educational, scientific, and popularizing benefits. We conclude that modern media and new forms of education offer an effective opportunity for inspiring children and others to have fun learning to act like scientists. This approach provides broad opportunities for developing the hitherto neglected educational potential of Citizen Science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Zárybnická
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Petr Sklenicka
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Piotr Tryjanowski
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
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46
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Merenlender AM, Crall AW, Drill S, Prysby M, Ballard H. Evaluating environmental education, citizen science, and stewardship through naturalist programs. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:1255-1265. [PMID: 27109290 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Amateur naturalists have played an important role in the study and conservation of nature since the 17th century. Today, naturalist groups make important contributions to bridge the gap between conservation science and practice around the world. We examined data from 2 regional naturalist programs to understand participant motivations, barriers, and perspectives as well as the actions they take to advance science, stewardship, and community engagement. These programs provide certification-based natural history and conservation science training for adults that is followed by volunteer service in citizen science, education, and stewardship. Studies in California and Virginia include quantitative and qualitative evaluation data collected through pre- and postcourse surveys, interviews, and long-term tracking of volunteer hours. Motivations of participants focused on learning about the local environment and plants and animals, connecting with nature, becoming certified, and spending time with people who have similar interests. Over half the participants surveyed were over 50 years old, two-thirds were women, and a majority reported household incomes of over $50,000 (60% in California, 85% in Virginia), and <20% of those surveyed in both states described themselves as nonwhite. Thus, these programs need to improve participation by a wider spectrum of the public. We interviewed younger and underrepresented adults to examine barriers to participation in citizen science. The primary barrier was lack of time due to the need to work and focus on career advancement. Survey data revealed that participants' ecological knowledge, scientific skills, and belief in their ability to address environmental issues increased after training. Documented conservation actions taken by the participants include invasive plant management, habitat restoration, and cleanups of natural areas and streams. Long-term data from Virginia on volunteer hours dedicated to environmental citizen science show an increase from 14% in 2007 to 32% in 2014. In general, participants in the naturalist programs we examined increased their content knowledge about ecosystems, had greater confidence in conserving them, and continued to engage as citizen scientists after completing the program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adina M Merenlender
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management 137 Mulford Hall University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, U.S.A..
| | - Alycia W Crall
- Virginia Tech, 460 Stagecoach Road, Suite E201, Charlottesville, VA 22902, U.S.A
| | - Sabrina Drill
- UC Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles/Ventura Counties, 669 County Square Drive Ventura, CA 93003, U.S.A
| | - Michelle Prysby
- Virginia Tech, 460 Stagecoach Road, Suite E201, Charlottesville, VA 22902, U.S.A
| | - Heidi Ballard
- School of Education, One Shields Ave, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A
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Miyazaki Y, Murase A, Sahara R, Angulo A, Senou H. Adding fish images taken in other countries to the biodiversity database of a Japanese public museum, with report of range extension of Labrisomus jenkinsi from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1409-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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48
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van der Wal R, Sharma N, Mellish C, Robinson A, Siddharthan A. The role of automated feedback in training and retaining biological recorders for citizen science. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:550-561. [PMID: 27111194 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The rapid rise of citizen science, with lay people forming often extensive biodiversity sensor networks, is seen as a solution to the mismatch between data demand and supply while simultaneously engaging citizens with environmental topics. However, citizen science recording schemes require careful consideration of how to motivate, train, and retain volunteers. We evaluated a novel computing science framework that allowed for the automated generation of feedback to citizen scientists using natural language generation (NLG) technology. We worked with a photo-based citizen science program in which users also volunteer species identification aided by an online key. Feedback is provided after photo (and identification) submission and is aimed to improve volunteer species identification skills and to enhance volunteer experience and retention. To assess the utility of NLG feedback, we conducted two experiments with novices to assess short-term (single session) and longer-term (5 sessions in 2 months) learning, respectively. Participants identified a specimen in a series of photos. One group received only the correct answer after each identification, and the other group received the correct answer and NLG feedback explaining reasons for misidentification and highlighting key features that facilitate correct identification. We then developed an identification training tool with NLG feedback as part of the citizen science program BeeWatch and analyzed learning by users. Finally, we implemented NLG feedback in the live program and evaluated this by randomly allocating all BeeWatch users to treatment groups that received different types of feedback upon identification submission. After 6 months separate surveys were sent out to assess whether views on the citizen science program and its feedback differed among the groups. Identification accuracy and retention of novices were higher for those who received automated feedback than for those who received only confirmation of the correct identification without explanation. The value of NLG feedback in the live program, captured through questionnaires and evaluation of the online photo-based training tool, likewise showed that the automated generation of informative feedback fostered learning and volunteer engagement and thus paves the way for productive and long-lived citizen science projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- René van der Wal
- Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St. Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, U.K
| | - Nirwan Sharma
- Department of Computing Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, U.K
| | - Chris Mellish
- Department of Computing Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, U.K
| | - Annie Robinson
- dot.rural Digital Economy Hub, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 5UA, U.K
| | - Advaith Siddharthan
- Department of Computing Science, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, U.K
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Haywood BK, Parrish JK, Dolliver J. Place-based and data-rich citizen science as a precursor for conservation action. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:476-86. [PMID: 27110934 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Environmental education strategies have customarily placed substantial focus on enhancing ecological knowledge and literacy with the hope that, upon discovering relevant facts and concepts, participants will be better equipped to process and dissect environmental issues and, therefore, make more informed decisions. The assumption is that informed citizens will become active citizens--enthusiastically lobbying for, and participating in, conservation-oriented action. We surveyed and interviewed and used performance data from 432 participants in the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST), a scientifically rigorous citizen science program, to explore measurable change in and links between understanding and action. We found that participation in rigorous citizen science was associated with significant increases in participant knowledge and skills; a greater connection to place and, secondarily, to community; and an increasing awareness of the relative impact of anthropogenic activities on local ecosystems specifically through increasing scientific understanding of the ecosystem and factors affecting it. Our results suggest that a place-based, data-rich experience linked explicitly to local, regional, and global issues can lead to measurable change in individual and collective action, expressed in our case study principally through participation in citizen science and community action and communication of program results to personal acquaintances and elected officials. We propose the following tenets of conservation literacy based on emergent themes and the connections between them explicit in our data: place-based learning creates personal meaning making; individual experience nested within collective (i.e., program-wide) experience facilitates an understanding of the ecosystem process and function at local and regional scales; and science-based meaning making creates informed concern (i.e., the ability to discern both natural and anthropogenic forcing), which allows individuals to develop a personalized prioritization schema and engage in conservation action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin K Haywood
- Department of Environmental Science, Allegheny College, 520 N. Main Street, Meadville, PA, 16335, U.S.A..
| | - Julia K Parrish
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Box 355020, WA, 98195, U.S.A
| | - Jane Dolliver
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Box 355020, WA, 98195, U.S.A
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50
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Dolrenry S, Hazzah L, Frank LG. Conservation and monitoring of a persecuted African lion population by Maasai warriors. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:467-475. [PMID: 27111059 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Revised: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Although Africa has many threatened species and biological hot spots, there are few citizen science schemes, particularly in rural communities, and there has been limited evaluation of existing programs. We engaged traditional Maasai warriors (pastoralist men aged 15 to 35) in community-based conservation and demographic monitoring of a persecuted African lion (Panthera leo) population. Through direct engagement, we investigated whether a citizen science approach employing local warriors, who had no formal education, could produce reliable data on the demographics, predation, and movements of a species with which their communities have been in conflict for generations. Warriors were given benefits such as literacy training and skill enhancement and engaged in the monitoring of the lions. The trained warriors reported on lion sign across an area nearly 4000 km(2) . Scientists worked together with the warriors to verify their reports and gather observations on the lion population. Using the verified reports and collected observations, we examined our scientific knowledge relative to the lion population preceding and during the citizen science program. Our observations showed that data quality and quantity improved with the involvement and training of the participants. Furthermore, because they engaged in conservation and gained personal benefits, the participants came to appreciate a species that was traditionally their foe. We believe engaging other local communities in biodiversity conservation and monitoring may be an effective conservation approach in rural Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Dolrenry
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706-1491, U.S.A
- Living with Lions, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Leela Hazzah
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706-1491, U.S.A
- Living with Lions, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Laurence G Frank
- Living with Lions, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
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