Bridging Knowledge and Fear: Citizen Science in Enhancing Herpetofauna Literacy, Identification Skills, and Reduced Fear
), Mareta Widiya(2)
| 
Country:
(1) Universitas PGRI Silampari, Indonesia
(2) Universitas PGRI Silampari, Indonesia
Corresponding Author
10.23960/jpmipa.v26i1.pp356-366
| Metrics→ |
| Indexing Site→ |  |
 |
 |
 |
Copyright (c) 2025 Dian Samitra, Mareta Widiya
Species literacy and species identification skills are important to protect diversity and are issues in Sustainable Development Education. Fear of animals, especially herpetofauna, makes students avoid them and makes it difficult to study them. Based to the literature study, citizen science has the potential to solve this problem. This study aims to determine the impact of citizen science on species literacy, species identification skill, and fear of herpetofauna. This study included 44 biology education students from PGRI Silampari University who were studying Vertebrate Zoology classes. The data on species literacy was obtained using essay questions. Reports provided information on species identification skills. A questionnaire was used to collect fear data on the herpetofauna. The instrument used was declared valid and reliable. Species identification ability data was analyzed based on species resulting from citizen science activities. Species literacy data were analyzed descriptively and using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. Literacy increase data is calculated using the N-Gain Score. The results obtained show that 1) Species literacy data after the Wilcoxon test obtained sig. <0.05. The N-gain analysis obtained was 0.72 in the high category. 2) The herpetofauna identification data was 71.23%, indicating that students skills are passable in identifying species. The results of citizen Science activities showed that a maximum of 17 species were caught and a minimum of 6 species; 3) The Wilcoxon test revealed a significant difference in fear of herpetofauna (sig. < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that Citizen Science significantly increases students' species literacy, identification abilities and reducing students' fear of herpetofauna.
Keywords: citizen science, species literacy, species identification skill, herpetofauna.
Aldhebiani, A. Y. (2018). Species concept and speciation. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 25(3), 437–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.04.013
Amarasinghe, A. A. T., Putra, C. A., Henkanaththegedara, S. M., Dwiyahreni, A. A., Winarni, N. L., Sunaryo, Margules, C., & Supriatna, J. (2021). Herpetofaunal diversity of West Bali National Park, Indonesia with identification of indicator species for long-term monitoring. Global Ecology and Conservation, 28, e01638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01638
Aripin, I. (2023). Online citizen science to develop local species identification skills and biodiversity awareness of prospective biology teacher students. Symposium on Biology Education, 347–355. https://doi.org/10.26555/symbion.11742
Aripin, I., Hidayat, T., Rustaman, N., & Riandi, R. (2022). Citizen science project’s contributions to species literacy for pre-service biology teacher. Jurnal Bioedukatika, 10(1), 42. https://doi.org/10.26555/bioedukatika.v10i1.21646
Astuti, G. A., & Rahayuningsih, M. (2022). Pendekatan citizen science sebagai upaya konservasi burung dilindungi di desa ngesrepbalong. Life Science, 11(2). http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/LifeSci
Aydın, S., & Keleş, P. U. (2021). Teachers candidates’ awareness of sustainable development. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(S1-May), 221–227. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v9is1-may.4015
Backstrom, L. J., Leseberg, N. P., Callaghan, C. T., Sanderson, C., Fuller, R. A., & Watson, J. E. M. (2024). Using citizen science to identify Australia’s least known birds and inform conservation action. Emu, 124(2), 199–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2283443
Bonney, R., Phillips, T. B., Ballard, H. L., & Enck, J. W. (2016). Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science? Public Understanding of Science, 25(1), 2–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662515607406
Boone, A., Rothschild, A., Koo, X., Pfohl, G., Sheehan, A., Disalvo, B., Le Dantec, C. A., & Disalvo, C. (2024). Reimagining meaningful data work through citizen science. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 8(CSCW2). https://doi.org/10.1145/3687049
Brandt, M., Groom, Q., Magro, A., Misevic, D., Narraway, C. L., Bruckermann, T., Beniermann, A., Borsen, T., Gonzalez, J., Meeus, S., Roy, H. E., Sa-Pinto, X., Torres, J. R., & Jenkins, T. (2022). Promoting scientific literacy in evolution through citizen science. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 289(1980). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1077
Brown, E. D., & Williams, B. K. (2019). The potential for citizen science to produce reliable and useful information in ecology. Conservation Biology, 33(3), 561–569. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13223
Callaghan, C. T., Rowley, J. J. L., Cornwell, W. K., Poore, A. G. B., & Major, R. E. (2019). Improving big citizen science data: Moving beyond haphazard sampling. PLoS Biology, 17(6), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000357
Christ, L., Hahn, M., Sieg, A. K., & Dreesmann, D. C. (2022). Be(e) Engaged! How students benefit from an educational citizen science project on biodiversity in their biology classes. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114524
Coracero, E. E., Facun, M. C. T., Gallego, R. J., Lingon, M. G., Lolong, K. M., Lugayan, M. M., Montesines, K. B. G., Sangalang, L. R., & Suniega, M. J. A. (2022). Knowledge and perspective of students towards biodiversity and its conservation and protection. Asian Journal of University Education, 18(1), 118–131. https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v18i1.17178
da Silva, M. X. G., Braga-Pereira, F., da Silva, M. C., de Oliveira, J. V., de Faria Lopes, S., & Alves, R. R. N. (2021). What are the factors influencing the aversion of students towards reptiles? Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 17(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-021-00462-z
Eugenio-Gozalbo, M., Zuazagoitia, D., Ruiz-González, A., Corrochano, D., Hurtado-Soler, A., & Talavera, M. (2022). Implementing citizen science programmes in the context of university gardens to promote pre-service teachers’ scientific literacy: a study case on soil. International Journal of Science Education, 44(10), 1619–1638. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2022.2088877
Fajri, S. R., Sudiatmika, A. R., Suma, I. K., & Suardana, I. N. (2023). Studi meta analisis : peningkatan kemampuan literasi biodiversitas berdasarkan model pembelajaran dan tingkat pendidikan. Bioscientist : Jurnal Ilmiah Biologi, 11(2), 1764. https://doi.org/10.33394/bioscientist.v11i2.9686
Fakhriyah, F., Masfuah, S., & Margunayasa, I. G. (2024). A review of environmental literacy learning for prospective teachers. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 10(8), 536–547. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v10i8.8327
Farr, C. M., Ngo, F., & Olsen, B. (2023). Evaluating data quality and changes in species identification in a citizen science bird monitoring project. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 8(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.604
Hamdiah, N., Hidayat, T., Srihayati, S., & Gusti, U. A. (2024). How students communicate in citizen science project to build knowledge. Jurnal Pendidikan MIPA, 25(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.23960/jpmipa/v25i1.pp1-13
Härtel, T., Randler, C., & Baur, A. (2023). Using species knowledge to promote pro-environmental attitudes? the association among species knowledge, environmental system knowledge and attitude towards the environment in secondary school students. Animals, 13(6), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13060972
Hooykaas, M. J. D., Schilthuizen, M., Albers, C. J., & Smeets, I. (2022). Species identification skills predict in-depth knowledge about species. PloS One, 17(4), e0266972. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266972
Hooykaas, M. J. D., Schilthuizen, M., Aten, C., Hemelaar, E. M., Albers, C. J., & Smeets, I. (2019). Identification skills in biodiversity professionals and laypeople: A gap in species literacy. Biological Conservation, 238, 108202. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108202
Jurumai, L. P., Abidin, A. A., Soetrisno, E. T., & Wibowo, D. (2023). Impact of population growth and housing development on the riverine environment: Identifying environmental threat and solution in the Wanggu River, Indonesia. Ecological Modelling, 486, 110540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel. 2023.110540
Katili, A. S., Utina, R., Yusuf, F. M., Pikoli, M., & Dama, L. (2021). Biodiversity literacy in science education. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1968(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1968/1/012024
Kipasika, H. J. (2023). Environmental literacy in teachers’ training: cognitive elements and environmental behaviour of prospective student-teachers. Journal of Adult Education in Tanzania, 25(1), 41–55. https://doi.org/10.61408/jaet2023v25i01.03
Lindemann-Matthies, P., Heber, E., & Remmele, M. (2024). Find the plant an educational game fosters plant species literacy. Sustainability (Switzerland) , 16(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114702
Listiawan, Winarto, & Wiyatmo, Y. (2023). The impact of the group investigation (gi) learning model on enhancing middle school students’ science literacy in thermal expansion topics. Jurnal Pendidikan MIPA, 25(3), 1549–1558. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.23960/jpmipa/v25i3.pp1549-1558
Mammola, S., Adamo, M., Antić, D., Calevo, J., Cancellario, T., Cardoso, P., Chamberlain, D., Chialva, M., Durucan, F., Fontaneto, D., Gonçalves, D. V, Martínez, A., Santini, L., Rubio-López, I., Sousa, R., Villegas-Ríos, D., Verdes, A., & Correia, R. A. (2023). Drivers of species knowledge across the Tree of Life. eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.88251.2
Monica, E., Suprapto, N., Budiyanto, M., Satriawan, M., & Cheng, T.-H. (2024). Measuring learners’ scientific literacy skills using contextual environmental issues. Jurnal Pendidikan MIPA, 24(4), 1648–1664. http://dx.doi.org/10.23960/jpmipa/v25i4.pp1648-1664
Mutya, R., & Inocian, E. (2024). Knowledge, attitude, and practices toward snakes and snakebites among non-medical college students in cebu, philippines: a mixed method approach. Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education, 16(2), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.15294/biosaintifika.v16i2.8383
Ningsih, A. G., Firmansyah, F., Hastuti, W. S., Kawuryan, S. P., Kuswidyanarko, A., & Rizki, I. A. (2024). Enhancing students’ mathematical creative thinking through ethnomathematics - based differentiated learning. Jurnal Pendidikan MIPA, 25(3), 1618–1634. http://dx.doi.org/10.23960/jpmipa/v25i3.pp1618-1634
Pandey, D. P., Subedi Pandey, G., Devkota, K., & Goode, M. (2016). Public perceptions of snakes and snakebite management: implications for conservation and human health in southern Nepal. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 12(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-016-0092-0
Paradise, C., & Bartkovich, L. (2021). Integrating citizen science with online biological collections to promote species and biodiversity literacy in an entomology course. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 6(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5334/CSTP.405
Perry, J. R., Sumner, S., Thompson, C., & Hart, A. G. (2021). ‘Citizen identification’: online learning supports highly accurate species identification for insect-focussed citizen science. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 14(6), 862–867. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12528
Phillips, T. B., Ballard, H. L., Lewenstein, B. V., & Bonney, R. (2019). Engagement in science through citizen science: Moving beyond data collection. Science Education, 103(3), 665–690. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21501
Photo, P. (2024). Exploring the impact of zoological garden visits on science learning in primary school: acknowledging and transforming prior knowledge via outdoor learning. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 0123456789. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-024-00175-3
Pocock, M. J. O., Tweddle, J. C., Savage, J., Robinson, L. D., & Roy, H. E. (2017). The diversity and evolution of ecological and environmental citizen science. PLoS ONE, 12(4), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172579
Rêgo, J. C. L., Soares-Gomes, A., & da Silva, F. S. (2018). Loss of vegetation cover in a tropical island of the Amazon coastal zone (Maranhão Island, Brazil). Land Use Policy, 71(June), 593–601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.10.055
Reynolds, B. R., Salamander, T., & Wilson, T. P. (2018). A walk in the woods: changing student attitudes toward amphibians and reptiles. Creative Education, 09(02), 182–191. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2018.92014
Rozi, Z. F., & Samitra, D. (2020). Amphibians diversity in sulap hill and watervang dam, Lubuklinggau. Jurnal Biodjati, 5(1), 153–163. https://doi.org/10.15575/biodjati. v5i1.5340
Saber, S., Tito, W., & Said, R. (2017). Amphibians as bioindicators of the health of some Wetlands in Ethiopia. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 66, 66–73. https://doi.org/10.12816/0034635
Samitra, D., & Rozi, Z. F. (2020). Short communication: The herpetofauna around human settlements in Lubuklinggau city, south Sumatra, Indonesia: Composition and diversity. Biodiversitas, 21(4), 1432–1437. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d210422
Samitra, D., & Widiya, M. (2024). Perspektif calon guru pendidikan dasar terhadap herpetofauna. Seminar Nasional Sains, 5(1), 19–24.
Skarstein, T. H., & Skarstein, F. (2020). Curious children and knowledgeable adults – early childhood student-teachers’ species identification skills and their views on the importance of species knowledge. International Journal of Science Education, 42(2), 310–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2019.1710782
Soria Aguirre, J. M., & Tormáné Kovács, E. (2023). Contribution of nature conservation related citizen science projects to learning, attitude and behavioral change of participants. Review on Agriculture and Rural Development, 12(1–2), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.14232/rard.2023.1-2.27-36
Suryanda, A., Azrai, E. P., Rini, D. S., Nur, D. B., Amaliah, A., & Syaikhan, A. A. H. (2024). Meningkatkan sikap ramah ular peserta didik sekolah menengah. Jurnal PKM: Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 07(05), 609–616. http://dx.doi.org/10.30998/jurnalpkm.v7i5.23296
Teel, T. L., Adams, M., Don Carlos, A. W., Bonnell, M. A., & Breck, S. W. (2022). A Mixed-methods social psychology application evaluating the role of citizen science in mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflict. Society & Animals, 31(5–6), 645–668. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-bja10067
Teixido, A. L., Sehn, H., Quintanilla, L. G., Gonçalves, S. R. A., Férnandez-Arellano, G. J., Dáttilo, W., Izzo, T. J., Layme, V. M. G., & Moreira, L. F. B. (2021). A meta-analysis of the effects of fragmentation on the megadiverse herpetofauna of Brazil. Biotropica, 53(3), 726–737. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12955
Tivarekar, R. P., & Virani, H. G. (2017). Species recognition using audio processing algorithm. 2017 International Conference on Trends in Electronics and Informatics (ICEI), 527–532. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOEI.2017.8300715
Tomažič, I., Pihler, N., & Strgar, J. (2017). Pre-service biology teachers’ reported fear and disgust of animals and their willingness to incorporate live animals into their teaching through study years. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 16(3), 337–349. https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/17.16.337
Ukaogo, P. O., Ewuzie, U., & Onwuka, C. V. (2020). Environmental pollution: Causes, effects, and the remedies. In Microorganisms for Sustainable Environment and Health. INC. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819001-2.00021-8
Vergara-Rios, D., Montes-Correa, A. C., Urbina-Cardona, J. N., De Luque-Villa, M., E. Cattan, P., & Granda, H. D. (2021). Local community knowledge and perceptions in the Colombian Caribbean towards Amphibians in urban and rural settings: tools for biological conservation. Ethnobiology and Conservation, 10(May). https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2021-05-10.24-1-22
Voigt-Heucke, S., Haklay, M., & Hecker, S. (2024). Citizen science. In Elgar Encyclopedia of Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity (pp. 46–49). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Willi, M., Pitman, R. T., Cardoso, A. W., Locke, C., Swanson, A., Boyer, A., Veldthuis, M., & Fortson, L. (2019). Identifying animal species in camera trap images using deep learning and citizen science. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 10(1), 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13099
Winarni, E. W., & Purwandari, E. P. (2019). The effectiveness of turtle mobile learning application for scientific literacy in elementary school. Journal of Education and E-Learning Research, 6(4), 156–161. https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.509.2019.64.156.161
Zukmadini, A. Y., Rohman, F., Dharmawan, A., Sari, M. S., Rochman, S., & Razak, S. A. (2024). Potential biodiversity from ethnozoology of enggano island: utilization, a quantitative analysis, list of animals conserved by local people, and application of research findings empowering species literacy in biology student teachers. Indonesian Journal of Science and Technology, 9(2), 463–496. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijost.v9i2.71581
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.