Teaching botanical identification
to adults: experiences of the UK
participatory science project
‘Open Air Laboratories’
Taxonomic education and botany are increasingly neglected in schools and universities, leading to a ‘missed
generation’ of adults that cannot identify organisms, especially plants. This study pilots three methods for teaching
identification of native plant species to forty-three adults engaged in the participatory science project ‘Open
Air Laboratories’ (OPAL). The three teaching methods (dichotomous key, word association exercise based on a
mnemonic approach and pictorial card game) proved equally effective in teaching plant identification to participants
for the groups of plants used. The dichotomous key is an established method for teaching transferrable
identification skills, whilst the other two methods could be useful tools for stimulating initial interest and
awareness in novices. The reasons for the decline in botanical knowledge are discussed, alongside the importance
of using appealing identification resources and making botany relevant to people’s lives.
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Penerbit
Routledge :
Taylor & Francis; Routledge.,
2013
Edisi
2013 Vol. 47, No. 2, 104–110
Pernyataan Tanggungjawab
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