Academic literature on the topic 'Conservation of natural resources Study and teaching (Secondary) Victoria'

The quality of life sustained by human beings is largely possible thanks to the opportunities offered by the biodiversity resources in nature. It is widely accepted that the continuation of this lifestyle largely depends on the sustainable use of consumed and destroyed natural resources. Therefore, teaching biodiversity becomes an important element of science teaching. In this context, it is important to reveal the biodiversity literacy levels of the new generation. This study aims to investigate secondary school students’ biodiversity literacy levels. The descriptive survey method, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the research. A total of 787 secondary school students studying at state schools during 2021-2022 academic year participated in the research. “Biodiversity Literacy Assessment Instrument” was used as a data collection tool in the study. Independent t-test was used to compare gender scores while one-way ANOVA was used to compare student scores based on their grades, students’ feelings about studying biodiversity, and understanding problems related to biodiversity. Tukey HSD test was used to determine the direction of significance in multiple comparisons. The findings revealed that while secondary school students’ scores for attitudes toward biodiversity were high, their biodiversity knowledge levels were low. Also, female students gained higher scores for “the conservation and importance of biodiversity”, “ethics and biodiversity” and “sustainability and biodiversity” sub-dimensions of biodiversity literacy scale in comparison to male students. Additionally, the study found that participant students’ biodiversity literacy scale scores differed based on students’ years of study. The study has implications for teaching biodiversity that include activities to help students take responsibility for the protection of biodiversity and the place of biodiversity in the national curriculum.

The call of the wilderness resonates in all of our hearts, with the desire to get in touch with nature and experience wilderness at some level. This project gives the high school teacher the practical resources necessary to share the passion of being in the wilderness with high school students.

The social and environmental challenges of the coming decades will require that individuals possess environmental literacy: the understanding of natural systems combined with a sense of care for the earth, and the confidence and competency to act on its behalf. At the same time, disengaged youth need education environments that foster belonging and promote affective outcomes. The youth conservation corps model provides a natural context for engaging academically at-risk youth in environmental science education, while fostering connection to nature and student self-efficacy in ways that are experiential, relevant, and relationship-based. The focus of this study was a conservation corps program that integrates habitat restoration fieldwork and environmental science curriculum. The participants of this study were eight high school seniors who participated in the program for credit toward their high school diplomas. Data were collected through both quantitative and qualitative measures. Students completed a pre-test to assess their understanding and application of conceptual knowledge in ecosystem relationships and biodiversity. Upon completion of a six-week curriculum, they completed a post-test assessing knowledge in the same areas, two retrospective pre-post surveys measuring connection to nature and self-efficacy, and a post-evaluation measuring affective outcomes. Individual interviews were conducted in order to provide further insights and to identify elements of the program that contributed to positive outcomes. Results showed statistically significant increases in all outcome areas as well as positive student evaluation of affective outcomes. The outdoor and experiential components of the program were found to contribute most significantly to the positive outcomes.

The play, Madagascar Mayhem, was devised as a means of developing ecological understanding about rain forest preservation and educating and expanding upon the use of drama as it relates to environmental education. By being involved in and learning about issues addressed in the play's content, students learned about how their actions may have a positive impact on rain forest preservation, the biodiversity of Madagascar, its agricultural loss and the movement to protect it.

This is a qualitative case study which sought to explore the integration of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in the teaching of conservation of biodiversity and natural resources by Grade 10 Life Sciences Educators in the Pinetown district. The study was done in two parts. Part one explored the Grade 10 Life Sciences educators’ understanding of the integration of indigenous knowledge in Life Sciences and the extent to which the educators integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching of conservation of biodiversity and natural resources. The data analysed was collected through questionnaires with open ended questions. Part two interrogated how the two educators who were purposively selected from part one of the study integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching; as well as what informed the way they integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching. The data analysed was collected through a pre-observation interview, a lesson observation and a post-observation interview with each of the two participants. The data was analysed within the conceptual framework of teachers as cultural brokers. The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) policy document for Life Sciences explains indigenous knowledge as another way of knowing and as an alternative way of explaining concepts that are usually explained using scientific knowledge. Hence it encourages the interaction of different ways of knowing in formal schooling. The analysis of part one of the study showed that 90% of the educators that participated in the study said that they integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching of conservation of biodiversity and natural resources. The analysis of how the educators integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching and what they did when they integrated indigenous knowledge showed that, even though the educators verbally asserted that they integrated indigenous knowledge in their teaching, there was in fact no evidence of a proper understanding and integration of indigenous knowledge in their teaching. Instead, the educators’ integration of indigenous knowledge point to the educators using indigenous knowledge to foster and strengthen the learning of scientific knowledge and to promote the interest of their learners in the learning of science knowledge. At the core of the educators’ integration of indigenous knowledge is their concern with their learners’ learning of scientific knowledge. In this regard, the educators couldn’t be seen to function as cultural brokers in helping learners move between their indigenous knowledge and the science knowledge of the concept of the conservation of biodiversity and natural resources. The analysis showed a limited understanding of the principles and ideas upon which indigenous knowledge can be integrated into the Life Sciences curriculum.
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.