S ph hu rng nhit i.

Rainforest destruction
,g-.i l/n v0 tr1 em th-.ng 23i m4t v/i nh5ng nh6n 27nh v8 t3c 29 m:t c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i. >? d@, m9t minh hoA bBng hCnh Dnh, m0 tr1 em cE lF liGn t-Hng, 2E l0 dI 2o;n rBng c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i 2ang b7 ph; huJ v/i t3c 29 t-Kng 2-Kng v/i m9t nghCn c;c sLn bEng 2; mMi (N phOt P hoDng th.i gian cQa m9t tiRt hSc thTng th-.ng. U8 ngo0i cQa sI phQ sEng truy8n thTng sinh 29ng th-.ng xuyGn, cE hD nVng tr1 em sF hCnh th0nh W t-Hng v8 r<ng nhi=t 2/i P chOng H 2Ly v0 nhthR n0o, vC sao chOng quan trSng, nh5ng gC 2ang 2e doA c;c c;nh r<ng- tXn tAi 29c l6p v/i b:t Y loAi hCnh 20o tAo ch?nh quy n0o. ,go0i ra cE hD nVng m9t s3 trong nh5ng W iRn n0y sF b7 hiZu sai. ,hi8u cu9c nghiGn c[u 2\ ch[ng minh rBng tr1 em gi:u sI hiZu sai v8 hoa hSc thuyRt giDng thu]n tuW. ,h5ng h;i ni=m sai n0y hTng tXn tAi bi=t l6p m0 2-^c t_ng h^p th0nh m9t h= th3ng h;i ni=m nhi8u chi8u nh-ng cE t_ ch[c, hCnh th0nh nGn h= th3ng v0 nh5ng W t-Hng chi tiRt, m9t s3 W t-Hng b7 sai, h; c[ng r`n nh-ng cang db tiRp c6n thay 2_i. ,h5ng W t-Hng n0y cE lF 2-^c tr1 hCnh th0nh bBng c;ch h:p th@ nh5ng W t-Hng thTng qua ph-Kng ti=n truy8n thTng ph_ biRn. cTi hi thTng tin n0y cE lF b7 sai. %-.ng nh- c;c tr-.ng hSc cE lF hTng tAo cK h9i 23i v/i tr1 trong vi=c b0y td ra W t-Hng cQa chOng v0 vC thR tr1 2-^c iZm tra v0 loAi bd nh5ng W t-Hng n0y bHi gi;o viGn v0 bAn ceng trang l[a. !4c de sI phQ sEng r9ng l/n cQa ph-Kng ti=n truy8n thTng 2Ai chOng v8 nAn ph; r<ng l/n, cE ?t thTng tin ch?nh th[c 'hi=n cE+ nGu v8 W t-Hng cQa tr1 trong lfnh vIc n0y. !@c 2?ch cQa cTng trCnh nghiGn c[u g]n 2Ly l0 b`t 2]u cung c:p nh5ng thTng tin nh- v6y, nhBm hM tr^ gi;o viGn thiRt R c;c chiRn l-^c gi;o d@c nhBm xLy dIng dIa trGn W t-Hng 2Ong 2Z thay thR quan ni=m sai v0 l6p R hoAch cho c;c ch-Kng trCnh trong c;c cTng trCnh nghiGn c[u mTi tr-.ng H c;c tr-.ng hSc cQa tr1. gTng trCnh nghiGn c[u n0y hDo s;t v8 iRn th[c hoa hSc cQa tr1 v0 th;i 29 cQa chOng 23i v/i c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i. #r1 em H tr-.ng hh_ thTng cK sH 2-^c yGu c]u ho0n th0nh mTt bDng cLu hdi cE ch[a nVm cLu hdi mH. g;c cLu trD l.i cE t]n su:t l/n nh:t 23i v/i cLu hdi th[ nh:t l0 sI mT tD ri r0ng thu6t ng5 jr<ng nhi=t 2/ik. !9t s3 tr1 em mT tD nh5ng c;nh r<ng nh- lm th:p, -/t v0 nEng. gLu trD l.i th[ m cE liGn quan 2Rn v7 tr? 27a l? cQa c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i. g;c cLu trD l.i chung nh:t l0 'r<ng nhi=t 2/i+ nBm H nh5ng l@c 27a ho4c c;c qu3c gia& ghLu hhi '2-^c ()* tr1 em 2;nh gi;+, ,am !n ')N*+, Uraxin 'mo*+. !9t s3 tr1 em cpn 2-a ra nh5ng v7 tr? chung chung hKn, nh- l0 nBm g]n 2-.ng x?ch 2Ao. g;c cLu trD l.i 23i v/i cLu hdi th[ ) cE liGn quan t/i t]m quan trSng cQa c;c c;nh

Adults and children are frequently confronted with statements about the alarming rate of loss of tropical rainforests. For example, one graphic illustration to which children might readily relate is the estimate that rainforests are being destroyed at a rate equivalent to one thousand football fields every forty minutes - about the duration of a normal classroom period. In the face of the frequent and often vivid media coverage, it is li ely that children will have formed ideas about rainforests - what and where they are, why they are important, what endangers them - independent of any formal tuition. It is also possible that some of these ideas will be mista en. !any studies have shown that children harbour misconceptions about "pure", curriculum science. #hese misconceptions do not remain isolated but become incorporated into a multifaceted, but organised, conceptual framewor , ma ing it and the component ideas, some of which are erroneous, more robust but also accessible to modification. #hese ideas may be developed by children absorbing ideas through the popular media. $ometimes this information may be erroneous. It seems schools may not be providing an opportunity for children to re-express their ideas and so have them tested and refined by teachers and their peers. %espite the extensive coverage in the popular media of the destruction of rainforests, little formal information is available about children"s ideas in this area. #he aim of the present study is to start to provide such information, to help teachers design their educational strategies to build upon correct ideas and to displace misconceptions and to plan programmes in environmental studies in their schools. #he study surveys children"s scientific nowledge and attitudes to rainforests. $econdary school children were as ed to complete a questionnaire containing five open-form questions. #he most frequent responses to the first question were descriptions which are selfevident from the term "rainforest". $ome children described them as damp, wet or hot. #he second question concerned the geographical location of rainforests. #he commonest responses were continents or countries& Africa 'given by ()* of children+, $outh America

')N*+, Uraqil 'mo*+. $ome children also gave more general locations, such as being near the rquator. Responses to question three concerned the importance of rainforests. #he dominant idea, raised by s(* of the pupils, was that rainforests provide animals with habitats. Fewer students responded that rainforests provide plant habitats, and even fewer mentioned the indigenous populations of rainforests. !ore girls 'tN*+ than boys 'sN*+ raised the idea of rainforest as animal habitats. $imilarly, but at a lower level, more girls 'u)*+ than boys 'o*+ said that rainforests provided human habitats. #hese observations are generally consistent with our previous studies of pupils" views about the use and conservation of rainforests, in which girls were shown to be more sympathetic to animals and expressed views which seem to place an intrinsic value on non-human animal life. #he fourth question concerned the causes of the destruction of rainforests. herhaps encouragingly, more than half of the pupils 'ov*+ identified that it is human activities which are destroying rainforests, some personalising the responsibility by the use of terms such as "we are". About uw* of the pupils referred specifically to logging activity. xne misconception, expressed by some uN* of the pupils, was that acid rain is responsible for rainforest destructiony a similar proportion said that pollution is destroying rainforests. zere, children are confusing rainforest destruction with damage to the forests of {estern rurope by these factors. {hile two firths of the students provided the information that the rainforests provide oxygen, in some cases this response also embraced the misconception that rainforest destruction would reduce atmospheric oxygen, ma ing the atmosphere incompatible with human life on rarth. In answer to the final question about the importance of rainforest conservation, the ma|ority of children simply said that we need rainforests to survive. xnly a few of the pupils 's*+ mentioned that rainforest destruction may contribute to global warming. #his is surprising considering the high level of media coverage on this issue. $ome children expressed the idea that the conservation of rainforests is not important. . #he results of this study suggest that certain ideas predominate in the thin ing of children about rainforests. hupils" responses indicate some misconceptions in basic scientific nowledge of rainforests" ecosystems such as their ideas about rainforests as habitats for animals, plants and humans and the relationship between climatic change and destruction of rainforests.

r<ng nhi=t 2/i. } iRn chQ 2Ao, 2-^c nGu ra bHi s(* hSc sinh 2E l0 c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i cung c:p mTi tr-.ng s3ng cho c;c lo0i 29ng v6t. ~t hSc sinh hKn trD l.i rBng c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i cung c:p mTi tr-.ng s3ng cho thIc v6t, v0 th6m ch? ?t tr-.ng h^p hKn 28 c6p t/i nh5ng b9 ph6n dLn c- bDn x[ cQa c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i. $3 'b+ g;i nhi8u hKn 'chiRm tN*+ so v/i b trai 'chiRm sN*+ 2-a ra W iRn v8 c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i nh- l0 mTi tr-.ng s3ng cho 29ng v6t. #-Kng tI, nh-ng H m[c th:p hKn, nhi8u b g;i hKn 'chiRm u)*+ so v/i c;c b trai 'chiRm o*+ cho biRt rBng c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i cung c:p mTi tr-.ng s3ng cho con ng-.i. ,h5ng quan s;t n0y nhCn chung phe h^p v/i c;c cu9c nghiGn c[u tr-/c 2Ly v8 quan 2iZm cQa hSc sinh 23i v/i c;ch s d@ng v0 bDo tXn c;c c;nh r<ng, trong 2E c;c b g;i 2-^c minh ch[ng l0 nhi=t tCnh hKn 23i v/i 29ng v6t v0 b0y td c;ch nhCn m0 d-.ng nhx;c 27nh gi; tr7 n9i tAi v8 2.i s3ng 29ng v6t hTng mang t?nh ch:t con ng-.i. gLu hdi th[ ( liGn quan t/i nh5ng nguyGn nhLn ph; huJ r<ng nhi=t 2/i. gE lF thO v7 H chM, hKn m9t na trong s3 hSc sinh 'ov*+ nh6n ra rBng ch?nh hoAt 29ng cQa con ng-.i 2ang ph; huJ c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i, m9t s3 2\ g`n quan 2iZm c; nhLn 'c; nhLn ho;+ tr;ch nhi=m n0y bBng c;ch s d@ng nh5ng thu6t ng5 nh- l0 jchOng tak. hoDng uw* trong s3 hSc sinh n0y 2\ liGn h= c@ thZ t/i hoAt 29ng 23n gM. !9t quan ni=m hiZu sai, 2-^c thZ hi=n bHi hoDng uN* trong s3 hSc sinh, 2E l0 m-a axit l0 nguyGn nhLn ch?nh gLy ph; huJ r<ngy m9t t l= t-Kng tI cho rBng T nhibm 2ang t0n ph; c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i. #heo quan 2iZm n0y, tr1 em 2ang ln l9n gi5a vi=c ph; huJ r<ng nhi=t 2/i v/i sI t0n ph; cQa c;c c;nh r<ng cTng u bHi nh5ng nhLn t3 n0y. #rong hi mo trong s3 hSc sinh 2-a ra thTng tin rBng nh5ng c;nh r-eng nhi=t 2/i n0y cung c:p Txy, trong m9t s3 tr-.ng h^p cLu trD l.i n0y ngo0i ra cpn quan ni=m sai rBng vi=c ph; huJ c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i sF giDm l-^ng Txy trong h? quyZn, l0m cho h? quyZn hTng t-Kng th?ch v/i 2.i s3ng cQa con ng-.i trGn tr;i 2:t. #rong cLu trD l.i v/i cLu hdi cu3i ceng v8 t]m quan trSng cQa vi=c bDo tXn c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i, 2a s3 tr1 em 2Kn giDn nEi rBng chOng ta c]n nh5ng c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i 2Z tXn tAi. gh cE m9t v0i hSc sinh 's*+ 2\ 28 c6p vi=c ph; huJ r<ng cE lF gEp ph]n v0o hi=n t-^ng nEng lGn to0n c]u. R:t lA hi xt t/i m[c 29 phQ sEng truy8n thTng cao v8 v:n 28 n0y. !9t s3 tr1 em b0y td W iRn cho rBng sI bDo tXn c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i n0y l0 hTng quan trSng. Rt quD cQa cTng trCnh nghiGn c[u n0y cho th:y rBng nh5ng W t-Hng nh:t 27nh th3ng tr7 trong t- duy cQa tr1 v8 r<ng nhi=t 2/i. c;c cLu trD l.i cQa hSc sinh cho th:y rBng m9t s3 quan ni=m hiZu sai trong iRn th[c hoa hSc cK bDn cQa c;c h= sinh th;i cQa c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i nh- nh5ng W t-Hng cQa tr1 v8 c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i gi3ng nh- mTi tr-.ng s3ng cho 29ng v6t, thIc v6t, con ng-.i v0 m3i quan h= gi5a thay 2_i h? h6u v0 t0n ph; r<ng nhi=t 2/i. zSc sinh 2\ hTng 2\ hTng tI

hupils did not volunteer ideas that suggested that they appreciated the complexity of causes of rainforest destruction. In other words, they gave no indication of an appreciation of either the range of ways in which rainforests are important or the complex social, economic and political factors which drive the activities which are destroying the rainforests. xne encouragement is that the results of similar studies about other environmental issues suggest that older children seem to acquire the ability to appreciate, value and evaluate conflicting views. rnvironmental education offers an arena in which these s ills can be developed, which is essential for these children as future decisionma ers.

nguy=n 2-a ra nh5ng W iRn cho rBng tr1 2;nh gi; 29 ph[c tAp cQa nguyGn nhLn t0n ph; r<ng nhi=t 2/i. ,Ei m9t c;ch h;c, chOng hTng 2-a ra t?n hi=u n0o trong vi=c 2;nh gi; phAm vi m0 theo 2E c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 23i n0y l0 quan trSng ho4c l0 nh5ng nhLn t3 ch?nh tr7 inh tR, x\ h9i ph[c tAp, nh5ng nhLn t3 n0y thOc 2ly nh5ng hoAt 29ng 2ang t0n ph; c;c c;nh r<ng nhi=t 2/i. !9t trong nh5ng huyRn h?ch 2E l0 nh5ng Rt quD cQa c;c cTng trCnh nghiGn c[u t-Kng tI v8 c;c v:n 28 mTi tr-.ng h;c cho th:y rBng tr1 em l/n tu_i hKn d-.ng nh- c]n t/i hD nVng 2;nh gi;, -/c t?nh v0 27nh gi; nh5ng quan 2iZm tr;i ng-^c nhau. i;o d@c mTi tr-.ng tAo ra m9t sLn chKi nKi m0 nh5ng n nVng n0y cE thZ 2-^c ph;t triZn, 2Ly l0 2i8u thiRt yRu 23i v/i tr1 'v/i t- c;ch+ nh- l0 nh5ng ng-.i ra quyRt 27nh trong t-Kng lai.