How Children Get to Know and Identify Species

Barbara Jaun-Holderegger; Hans-Joachim Lehnert; Petra Lindemann-Matthies

doi:10.29333/ejmste/11443

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Barbara Jaun-Holderegger ¹ ^* , Hans-Joachim Lehnert ², Petra Lindemann-Matthies ²

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¹ Bern University of Teacher Education, SWITZERLAND² Karlsruhe University of Education, GERMANY^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study investigated with the help of in-depth interviews and a think-aloud-approach how 10-to12-year-old children (n = 46) in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, get to know species, how they identify plants and animals, and for how important they consider species knowledge to be. Own observations and sensual experiences coupled with positive emotions were most prominent when children encountered plants and animals for the first time. Family members helped most in getting to know species, and were more needed in case of plants. When describing plants, children focused less on flower or flower color than on other characteristic traits. In case of animals, special attention was paid on the body, i.e., its size, form and color. Mean knowledge of animals and mean number of traits mentioned per class was positively related. Children considered species knowledge important for utilitarian reasons and because they thought it part of a general education.

Keywords

species knowedge
environmental education
primary school
perception of traits

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2022, Volume 18, Issue 1, Article No: em2061

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11443

Publication date: 24 Dec 2021

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Article Downloads: 935

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Declaration of Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest is declared by author(s).

Data sharing statement: Data supporting the findings and conclusions are available upon request from the corresponding author(s).

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How to cite this article

APA

Jaun-Holderegger, B., Lehnert, H.-J., & Lindemann-Matthies, P. (2022). How Children Get to Know and Identify Species. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 18(1), em2061. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11443

Vancouver

Jaun-Holderegger B, Lehnert HJ, Lindemann-Matthies P. How Children Get to Know and Identify Species. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2022;18(1):em2061. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11443

AMA

Jaun-Holderegger B, Lehnert HJ, Lindemann-Matthies P. How Children Get to Know and Identify Species. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2022;18(1), em2061. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11443

Chicago

Jaun-Holderegger, Barbara, Hans-Joachim Lehnert, and Petra Lindemann-Matthies. "How Children Get to Know and Identify Species". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2022 18 no. 1 (2022): em2061. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11443

Harvard

Jaun-Holderegger, B., Lehnert, H.-J., and Lindemann-Matthies, P. (2022). How Children Get to Know and Identify Species. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 18(1), em2061. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11443

MLA

Jaun-Holderegger, Barbara et al. "How Children Get to Know and Identify Species". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 18, no. 1, 2022, em2061. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11443