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Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science.

ABSTRACT: Several studies suggest that 63% of primate species are currently threatened due to deforestation, pet-trade, and bushmeat hunting. Successful primate conservation strategies require effective educational programs capable of enhancing critical system-thinking and responsible behavior towards these species. Arts-based conservation education can simultaneously foster cognitive and emotional processes. In this paper, we evaluate an arts-based educational program focused on the conservation of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Our goals were to determine (1) whether children's knowledge changed with our educational techniques, (2) if there was a particular educational technique that better improved the children's learning, and (3) the children's emotional feedback regarding the whole program. A total of 229 children from communities located in primate-habitat areas, both inside and outside protected areas, participated in the study. Different educational techniques were tested (storytelling, theater and shadow puppets), contrasted with a control group, and evaluated through an analysis of drawings. Our results showed that children's knowledge increase with each art-based technique, with storytelling being the most effective for children's learning. Specific drawings indicators also revealed the increase of children's knowledge and a decrease of misconceptions between pre and post evaluations. Finally, a satisfaction survey about the program showed a high positive feedback. The study highlights the value of designing multidisciplinary projects, where arts-based education program (grounded in scientific information) has shown to be a successful way to communicate animal knowledge and promote conservation.

SUBMITTER: Franquesa-Soler M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6999903 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science.

Franquesa-Soler Montserrat M Jorge-Sales Lucía L Aristizabal John F JF Moreno-Casasola Patricia P Serio-Silva Juan Carlos JC

PloS one 20200204 2

Several studies suggest that 63% of primate species are currently threatened due to deforestation, pet-trade, and bushmeat hunting. Successful primate conservation strategies require effective educational programs capable of enhancing critical system-thinking and responsible behavior towards these species. Arts-based conservation education can simultaneously foster cognitive and emotional processes. In this paper, we evaluate an arts-based educational program focused on the conservation of black ...[more]

PMID: 32017779

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Project description:Beyond subject matter learning, primary science teaching aims at encouraging positive attitudes toward, and lasting interest in, science. This study tested whether the learning and science commitment of 8- to 10-year old pupils was affected by extracurricular learning opportunities involving repeated interactions with free-living northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita; an endangered bird species) and professional researchers. To examine the project's efficacy, pupils' learning progress was monitored by repeated measures of knowledge (i) about northern bald ibises in specific, and (ii) of bird diversity in general. In addition, the children's attitudes toward science were monitored and their dynamic mental models of northern bald ibis' morphology and size were assessed from drawings. A total of 55 pupils from two schools were tested for eight months (before, during and after the experience). Control groups went through regular (curricular) science lessons with similar content and time investment. The extracurricular experience produced a clear learning progress with large effect sizes, which was particularly evident on a long timescale. In addition to subject matter knowledge, the project group pupils could name more bird species and expressed their views about the importance of scientific research for society in a higher proportion than control groups. Differences between schools suggest that project participation also changed the teacher's own interest in northern bald ibises, which affected learning in the control group taught by the same teacher. Beyond the pupils' language and reading skills, learning progress was also visible by scoring ibis-typical features in drawings; their mental models of relative size were not changed due to project participation, however. The results are discussed in reference to inducing and maintaining pupils' attitude and interest in a topic. The study adds empirical evidence for the potentials of advancing primary science education e. g. by fostering the collaboration of schools with scientists.

Project description:This study aims to alleviate the current tense employment situation and study the entrepreneurial situation of teachers and students in colleges and universities. Firstly, based on the educational concept of Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics (STEAM), Ideological and Political Education (IPE) is added to psychological capital to explore the effect of the combination of the two on entrepreneurial performance. An entrepreneurial performance impact model is constructed, and the questionnaire is set. Secondly, the influence of psychological capital combined with IPE on sports morality is explored, and a sports morality questionnaire is designed. Finally, the questionnaire results are analyzed. The results showed that most of the participants in the survey are under the age of 25. The 25- to 29-year-olds are the smallest among those surveyed. The respondents who participated in the survey had the most undergraduate degrees, accounting for 43.4%. The 40 items on entrepreneurial performance this time obey a normal distribution, and the scale has good reliability and validity. The main factor analysis results obtained by principal component analysis include 6 factors. Their total explanatory power exceeds 67%, and the six factors screened out this time are well represented. The model tolerance is between 0.45 and 0.5, and the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) value is less than 10. The scale does not suffer from multi-collinearity issues. IPE significantly strengthens the effect of psychological capital on entrepreneurial performance. The influences of various sports on sportsmanship, bravery, self-confidence, and self-transcendence are significantly different, and the P value is less than 0.001. The difference in aggressiveness is less than 0.01, indicating that it is very significant. Different sports have significant differences in the cultivation of sports morality, and the P value is less than 0.05. The differences in self-discipline are also significant, and there are extremely significant differences in compliance with rules, and the P value here is less than 0.001. There are no significant differences in sporting qualities. IPE combined with psychological capital has a significant impact on entrepreneurial performance. These contents provide references for the entrepreneurship education of teachers and students in colleges and universities. The contribution lies in expanding the research on psychological capital in entrepreneurial performance and laying a foundation for the combination of psychological capital and IPE.

Dataset Information

Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science.

Publications

Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science.

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