ERIC Number: EJ1027598
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9266
EISSN: N/A
Herbs versus Trees: Influences on Teenagers' Knowledge of Plant Species
Lückmann, Katrin; Menzel, Susanne
Journal of Biological Education, v48 n2 p80-90 2014
The study reports on species knowledge among German adolescents (n = 507) as: (1) self-assessed evaluation of one's species knowledge; and (2) factual knowledge about popular local herbs and trees. Besides assessing species knowledge, we were interested in whether selected demographic factors, environmental attitude (as measured through the New Ecological Paradigm) and environmental preferences (measured through the Teen Environmental Preference Questionnaire) may predict species knowledge. Overall, pupils showed better knowledge of trees than of herbs. The Stinging Nettle ("Urtica dioica") was the best known species among a total of 16 presented tree and herb species. Linear regression analyses revealed that female gender influenced knowledge about trees positively, while it showed a negative relation towards self-assessed evaluation of one's species knowledge. In addition, higher age, urban provenance and the environmental preference dimension "city" showed a negative relation with species knowledge of trees and herbs. The environmental preference dimension "nature" was positively related to our adolescents' self-assessed evaluation of one's species knowledge. Our results will be discussed in the light of educational strategies to foster young people's species knowledge.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Plants (Botany), Adolescents, Knowledge Level, Influences, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Adolescent Attitudes, Environment, Preferences, Gender Differences, Age Differences, Place of Residence, Questionnaires, Multiple Regression Analysis, Predictor Variables
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A