Investigation of secondary school students' conceptual understanding of the topic of biological diversity (biodiversity)

Investigation of Secondary School Students? Conceptual Understandings ofThe Topic of Biological Diversity (Biodiversity)(Ph.D Thesis)Nurettin YOREKDEU Institut of Education SciencesABSTRACTIn present day, biodiversity has reached to a dangerous position and has endedto become a global problem. The use of the results and solution recommendations tothis global problem obtained from the studies conducted for the aim of protection ofbiodiversity has become increasingly important in biology education (environmentaleducation) to form environmental consciousness in pupils. Therefore, education of thesociety (especially the pupils) in a way through which they gain a protectionconsciousness is very important, especially for the future generations for a sustainabledevelopment of our country, which is a developing country, without losing itsbiological richness.In this study, pupils? constructions of some concepts related to biodiversitylike classifying living things, variation in living things and ecosystem elements, andthe concept of living were investigated in the light of constructivist theory of learning.For this purpose, a biological diversity conceptual understanding test formed by aseries of open ended questions was developed and applied to 191 first class highschool pupils in seven different high schools in the city of Izmir-Turkey. For theclarification of the responses taken from the test and to follow up some responses asemi-structured interview was developed and applied 14 pupils among the 191.Moreover, to understand the teaching style in seven different schools and to find outthe reasons of some responses taken from the pupils a semi-structured teacherinterview was developed and applied to seven teachers-one from each school.The results of the study implicated that although pupils? views towards livingthings and the nature were similar to holistic understanding, their constructions of thetopics of nutrition relationship and energy flow were weak, and the idea ofanthropocentric view in which human beings are in the centre of all living things wereseem to be very popular among them. As a result of this study, in the pupils?constructions of the concept of `living? a model of `animist-anthropocentricconceptual structure? was identified / developed.Key Words: Biological Diversity, Environmental Education, AlternativeConceptions, Holism, Anthropocentrism.