What Do Students Know about Rivers and Their Management? Analysis by Educational Stages and Territories

The overall purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge that students have about the ecosystem concept of rivers and their sustainable management. A survey of nine questions gathered responses from 3447 students at three different Spanish education levels (Primary, Secondary, and bachelor’s de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2020, Vol.12 (20), p.8719
Main Authors: Ladrera, Rubén, Rodríguez-Lozano, Pablo, Verkaik, Iraima, Prat, Narcís, Díez, José Ramón
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic ecosystems
Compulsory education
Ecosystem biology
Ecosystem management
Ecosystems
Education
Environmental education
Knowledge
Knowledge management
Learning
Literacy
Precipitation
River ecology
Rivers
Science
Secondary education
Strategic management
Students
Sustainability
Sustainability management
Sustainable development
Teaching
Territory
Undergraduate study
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Summary:The overall purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge that students have about the ecosystem concept of rivers and their sustainable management. A survey of nine questions gathered responses from 3447 students at three different Spanish education levels (Primary, Secondary, and bachelor’s degree in Primary Education) and six different geographic territories in the Iberian Peninsula. Respondents showed a limited understanding of rivers, much simpler than the ecosystem concept, which was related to proposals of unsustainable management of these ecosystems. Although the results were analogous among territories, undergraduate students had a more complex concept of rivers as well as more sustainable ideas regarding their management compared with Primary and Secondary Education students. This study demonstrates the lack of knowledge transfer between science and students regarding river ecosystems. Current educational programs should be adapted to address, even at early stages of education, the sustainability challenges around river ecosystems.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su12208719