“Our School’s Biodiversity”
Design and Evaluation of a Teaching–Learning Sequence for Prospective Primary Teacher Education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22048993 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Arantza Rico (0000-0002-4008-5569, University of the Basque Country), Igone Palacios-Agundez (0000-0001-9683-6977, University of the Basque Country), Lur Moragues-Saitua (Department of Mathematics, Experimental Science and Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (EHU), 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain), Lur Moragues‐Saitua (University of the Basque Country), Gloria Rodríguez-Loinaz (0000-0003-3312-1653, University of the Basque Country) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 754 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-09 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci16050754 |
| OpenAlex | W7162130258 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 54 |
Species literacy and awareness is in decline among both primary students and their teachers. This is of particular concern in the context of the current unprecedented collapse in global biodiversity that threatens our wellbeing and our ability to cope with other global challenges. In this article we present a Teaching–Learning Sequence (TLS) about biodiversity implemented with Prospective Primary Teachers (PPT) designed to address this problem. The development of the TLS, centred on-campus organic learning gardens, deployed an iterative process of design, implementation, evaluation and refinement. This application of Design-Based Research methodology ultimately produced a didactic unit. We evaluated the TLS against both quantitative and qualitative criteria, including student’s learning outcomes. The results show that the inquiry-centred TLS contributed to conceptual and procedural learning gains, particularly regarding invertebrate identification. Additionally, the participating PPTs reported a closer connection to and awareness of nature and biodiversity. However, specific knowledge, especially around plant taxonomy, remained low. The paper concludes by identifying a number of limitations that are being taken into account for future refinement. Specifically, activities aimed at imparting a deeper understanding of habitats, and improving knowledge on the identification and classification of living beings will be included in future iterations
Biodiversity · Literacy · Qualitative research · Teacher education · Animal and Plant Science Education · Diverse Educational Innovations Studies · Environmental Education and Sustainability
Impact of Garden-Based Learning on Academic Outcomes in Schools
‘Loveable’ mammals and ‘lifeless’ plants
Diverse values of nature for sustainability
Improving Elementary Pre-Service Teachers’ Science Teaching Self-Efficacy through Garden-Based Technology Integration
Implementing citizen science programmes in the context of university gardens to promote pre-service teachers' scientific literacy
Curious children and knowledgeable adults – early childhood student-teachers’ species identification skills and their views on the importance of species knowledge
Missed opportunities for observation‐based ecology in the Next Generation Science Standards
A haven of green space
Towards a model of plant awareness in education
Common and threatened animal identification and conservation preferences among 6 to 12 year-old students
Secondary school students’ familiarity with animals and plants
The role of education in biodiversity conservation
The integration of biodiversity education in the initial education of primary school teachers
Nature-based environmental education of children
A PCK-mapping approach to show the integration among components of the pedagogical content knowledge of elementary education teacher educators about biodiversity
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |