The elephant (ears) in the room of biology education: addressing the botanical and practical skills deficit

Karen Kerr, Natalie O'Neill*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

Last year saw the publication of research conducted across the UK that directly linked the fall in botanical expertise (caused by a lack of third level botanical programmes of study) to the rise in ‘plant blindness’, a process of knowledge erosion that makes us blind to the biodiversity crisis and inhibits out ability to restore biodiversity (Stroud et al, 2022). 

Building upon this research we identify gaps in the provision of education around plant biology in the second level biology curriculum across the island of Ireland (North and South) in the context of the biodiversity crisis declared by the Irish Government in 2019. There is a dynamic relationship between botanical education at second and third level whereby each depends upon the other to increase the knowledge base and awareness among citizens of the biodiversity crisis and to provide a workforce with botanical expertise who can develop solutions to the crisis. 

Therefore, this research maps the second level biology curriculum across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as a comparative case study that identifies the following: 
- Where plant biology is included in the curriculum
- Where botany specifically is included in the curriculum
- How policy for biology education accounts for biodiversity loss

This comparative mapping process will provide an in-depth view of how second level biology is contributing to education around biodiversity loss.

The aims of this project are as follows: 
- To map the biology curriculum in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
- To compare how plant biology is represented in both curricula
- To identify common gaps in botanical education between the two countries
- To examine initial findings of how the written plant biology curriculum compares to teacher’s enactment of the curriculum in their everyday practice

The outcomes of this paper shed light on biodiversity education and botanical expertise within the secondary school system.

We take the methodological approach of Bartlett and Vavrus (2017) by examining the curriculum across three axes: contrasting one case with another, comparison of influences at different curriculum levels, a transversal comparison over time.

Our theoretical framework is situated in the post humanist paradigm, which seeks to de-privilege the human as the centre of biological education and instead to see all living things as interdependent.

Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 06 Apr 2024
EventEducational Studies Association of Ireland Conference 2024 - Maynooth, Ireland
Duration: 04 Apr 202406 Apr 2024

Conference

ConferenceEducational Studies Association of Ireland Conference 2024
Abbreviated titleESAI 2024
Country/TerritoryIreland
CityMaynooth
Period04/04/202406/04/2024

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