Adolescents' experience and knowledge of, and attitudes toward, bees: Implications and recommendations for conservation
Students who engage in gardening and lawn-care activities gain understanding and develop positive attitudes toward bees
This study was based on the understanding that the youth of today will be the decision-makers of the future. It was also based on a concern about the declining population of bees worldwide. Bees, along with other invertebrate species, are often regarded with apathy, distaste and fear. Such negative sentiments can hamper wildlife conservation efforts. A better understanding of how adolescents think and feel about bees could provide valuable information for developing or enhancing educational programs relating to the conservation of bees.
A questionnaire was used to explore three broad dimensions of the human–bee relationship as it pertains to adolescents: experiences with bees and the outdoors, knowledge about bees, and attitudes toward bees. A total of 794 eighth-grade science students participated in the survey. The analysis of the data included an investigation into how adolescents’ experiences, knowledge, and attitudes about bees related to one another.
Results indicated that adolescents were only somewhat knowledgeable about bees and that they generally held a neutral attitude toward bees. While students knew basic biological facts about bees, they failed to demonstrate a more in-depth understanding of bee behavior and the vital ecosystem services they provide. Students who had been stung by a bee and those who had not been stung held similar attitudes toward bees. Those who had been stung, however, were more likely to attempt to kill a bee. Generally, students who tried to save a bee reported a more positive attitude than those who had not tried to save a bee. Similarly, students who reported trying to save a bee demonstrated a higher level of factual understanding about bees. Various bee-related experiences were linked to adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes about bees and seemed to influence their behavior toward bees. Students who engaged in gardening and lawn-care, for example, tended to be more knowledgeable about bees and had more positive attitudes toward bees.
These results suggest that there is a relationship between experience and knowledge and that engaging in certain outdoor activities may promote positive attitudes toward bees among adolescents. Engaging students in school gardening activities would be one way to help adolescents gain more in-depth knowledge about the natural world. The gardening experiences, along with the knowledge gained, could then promote more positive attitudes toward nature and motivate positive conservation behaviors.
Citation
Silva, A., Minor, E.S., (2017). Adolescents' experience and knowledge of, and attitudes toward, bees: Implications and recommendations for conservation. Anthrozoös, 30(1),
