Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior of Prospective Biology Teachers towards Biodiversity Conservation in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to describe prospective biology teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards biodiversity conservation in Indonesia. The research was conducted at the Biology Education Study Program at three campuses in West Java: Majalengka University, IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, and Wiralodra University. This study considered the three campuses because they had courses supporting biodiversity education programs, such as conservation biology, coastal area management, and mangrove forest empowerment. The total (n=106) participants involved in this study were Majalengka University (n=22), Wiralodra University (n=16), and IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon (n=68). The instruments in this study consisted of tests and questionnaires developed referring to the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) biodiversity literacy indicators, covering questions related to knowledge of Indonesia's biodiversity and its conservation. Meanwhile, the questionnaire instrument included attitude and behavior questionnaires related to biodiversity conservation. Data were collected via google form from April 01, 2021, to May 02, 2021. The results revealed that the prospective biology teachers’ knowledge about the biodiversity and biodiversity conservation concept was low, with a percentage of correct answers of 42.6%. In addition, the prospective biology teacher students’ attitudes and behavior towards biodiversity conservation in Indonesia were in a good category, as evidenced by attitudes and behaviors supporting Indonesian biodiversity conservation through various campus activities, such as nature lover organizations, conservation activities, community service, and student involvement in citizen science activities on a local scale.