Summary
To understand the biological literacy (i.e., the awareness of life’s diversity and ability to classify/name species) the authors asked students to list wild invertebrates 5877 references to animals from students in three schools in urban and rural northeastern Brazil, which referenced 224 unique animals, 72% being wild invertebrates, 25.7% being domestic vertebrates and 2.3% being invertebrates. Across the sample, references to wild vertebrates increased as family income and educational development increased. However,the conclusion that knowledge of vertebrate diversity is necessary for the development of conservation attitudes is limited due to its correlational nature. The study is strengthened through the diverse sample of students used across rural and urban settings, which additionally illustrates how the origins of vertebrate knowledge is gained differently (e.g. origins of knowledge attributed to “media” found higher in urban students.) Overall, authors emphasize the importance of biological literacy in education to develop student’s conservation attitudes.
Background
Recognition of the diversity of living beings, including the classification and naming of species, is a fundamental condition for biological literacy with the aim of developing critical awareness of human relationships with nature, and for which formal education plays an important role. The present study aimed to analyze the representation that urban/rural students have for wild vertebrates and their main sources of knowledge.
Methods
Data collection took place in three public schools, one urban and two rural, in the municipality of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. Questionnaires were given to 990 students (528 urban and 462 rural), distributed among all the grades that comprise middle school (Ensino Fundamental II, grades 6–9) and high school (Ensino Médio, grades 10–12) education.
Results
A total of 5877 citations were mentioned by the students, which corresponded to 224 distinct animals with 166 (72.0%) being wild vertebrates, 24 (25.7%) being domestic vertebrates, and 34 (2.3%) being invertebrates. Mammals and reptiles had the greatest observed richness of citations, while mammals (H′ = 3.37), birds (H′ = 2.84), and invertebrates (H′ = 2.94) had the greatest diversity. Positive correlations were found between citations of wild vertebrates and family income (rt = 0.06; P < 0.05) and curricular development (rs = 0.08; P < 0.01); negative correlations were found between curricular development and citations of domestic animals (rs = − 0.22; rs = − 0.11 P < 0.01) and between age group and citations of invertebrates (r = − 0.14; rs = − 0.11 P < 0.01). As for the sources of knowledge regarding the animals indicated by the students, “media,” “daily experiences,” “tradition” (here understood as knowledge resulting from interactions with parents and experienced community members), and “formal education” stood out.
Conclusions
Comprehension of vertebrate diversity is a fundamental condition for the development of attitudes compatible with its conservation, which emphasizes the importance of biological literacy in achieving this purpose.