Biological invasions as topic in textbooks of science at primary schools in the Czech Republic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14712/18023061.684Keywords:
invazní druh, výuka, prevence, environmentální výchova, podpůrné materiályAbstract
Biological invasions are a global issue. Regarding the facing invasive species, the importance of the general public education, including pupils and students, is often emphasised in the long term perspective. High quality teaching in schools must be supported by sufficient and valid supporting materials, including textbooks. In this study, a total of 24 textbooks of science for primary schools in the Czech Republic were examined. In the regard of the evaluated specific terms more or less related to the issue of biological invasions, it was found that none of the textbooks introduced this topic directly, and only the term "non-native species" appears to a very limited extent. Furthermore, it was found that among the model plant and animal species, also invasive species were given. These species should definitely not represent the typical biota of the Czech Republic. Last but not least, the term 'symbiosis', which represents any relationship between two individuals of different species and not just a mutually beneficial relationship, is also incorrectly used in textbooks. In order to improve the situation, it is necessary to create and release high-quality, peer-reviewed and freely available supporting materials for teaching at all school levels.
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