New educational materials on the biodiversity crisis will be available for elementary and middle schools very soon. IPBES in Denmark has already developed similar materials for high schools. The entire basis for the teaching materials is to ensure that students and teachers in secondary education gain the very latest knowledge and insights into the biodiversity crisis, so that they are equipped to discuss its consequences and the potential courses of action available.
The educational materials consist of workbooks, a series of short articles, and several videos that provide an overview of Danish and global biodiversity, as well as nature and biodiversity and the associated ecosystem services on which we humans depend. It is the younger generations in elementary and high schools who will have to live with the consequences of the biodiversity crisis we are currently facing, and it has therefore been imperative that they be informed. Most students are aware of the climate crisis from their classes but know nothing about the biodiversity crisis.
Before we launch new materials for elementary schools, it would be helpful to take stock of the previously published materials for high schools. Have they been used? And what impact have the materials had on the students? We’ve actually had the opportunity to learn more about this after Freja Korsholm from Aarhus University assessed the impact of teaching about the biodiversity crisis on a class of high school students.
Status of Teaching Materials for High Schools
But first, a brief update. In 2022, IPBES in Denmark published three new teaching guides and four videos on the biodiversity crisis for use in upper secondary schools. The materials are still available for free download from the IPBES in Denmark website and were developed with support from the Aage V. Jensen Nature Foundation. Two years later—in 2024—the three workbooks were updated with the latest knowledge that had emerged in the intervening years, and three entirely new versions were posted on the website. The booklets are also available for loan at approximately 40 libraries across the country, and several hundred copies have been provided free of charge to high schools and other institutions and organizations, including the Ministry of the Environment.
The current status is that, four years after the booklets were made available, they have been downloaded approximately 1,500 times, and it is reported that the material has been used in teaching about the biodiversity crisis by 500 teachers at more than 100 high schools, involving approximately 30,000 students in courses that collectively cover approximately 4,500 teaching modules. The figures are based on records of downloads of the booklets from the IPBES in Denmark website. They are subject to uncertainty, as it has not been verified whether the reported figures actually correspond to the number of students who completed the courses.
Who took down the material?
High schools across the country—on Zealand, Lolland-Falster, Funen, and throughout Jutland—have taken down the booklets. They have also been taken down by schools in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, as well as, for example, the European School in Luxembourg.
Map showing all high schools: Map with a list of high schools
A number of other organizations have also benefited from the material, including consultants at private firms as well as public authorities at both the national level and in more than 30 municipalities. At the same time, public schools, boarding schools, and vocational schools have also adopted the teaching workbooks, as have more than 30 adult education programs. Finally, a number of private organizations have expressed interest, including the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, the Scout Movement, and Grandparents’ Climate Action.
See also: New Educational Booklets on the Biodiversity Crisis Published – IPBES in DENMARK
A previous interview study involving 35 randomly selected high school teachers showed that, at that time, only half of them had incorporated the downloaded booklets into active teaching about the biodiversity crisis. The most widely used booklet was Booklet 1, designed for biology classes, which was used by 75% of the teachers, followed by the booklet on biodiversity and the climate crisis, used by 63% of the teachers. Approximately 500 students had received instruction on the material from the 16 teachers at various grade levels. However, these numbers were expected to rise, as several teachers were considering using the material at a later date.
The four videos on the biodiversity crisis and biodiversity monitoring have been viewed a total of 5,700 times. The most-viewed video is the one in which Professor Katherine Richardson provides an introduction to the biodiversity crisis.
Master’s Thesis in Biology and Psychology
It is one thing to use the material in high schools; it is quite another to gain a better understanding of the impact these many educational programs have had on students. It was precisely this question that Freja Korsholm, M.Sc., set out to answer in her master’s thesis in biology and psychology at Aarhus University, in a study of “learning about biodiversity.” In her study, she tracked the use of one of the materials’ videos and the booklet on the biodiversity crisis in an intensive course taught by a high school biology teacher. The theme of the course was biodiversity and the biodiversity crisis.
Freja Korsholm’s thesis stemmed from a desire to raise awareness about biodiversity and the challenges facing nature, the role of humans, and the responsibility we have to help slow down this negative trend. Freja Korsholm took courses in biology education and worked with the curricula of the Ministry of Children and Education. It became clear to her that high school plays a central role in conveying knowledge about humanity’s role in global and local issues. The biology curricula specifically emphasize that students must acquire a foundational understanding that enables them to engage with these issues and act responsibly in society.
At the same time, in her thesis, Freja conducted a thorough assessment of whether the content of the teaching materials met the academic expectations one might have for addressing a societal crisis such as the biodiversity crisis. However, the main objective was to investigate whether students actually achieved the intended academic understanding and what learning outcomes the biology instruction produced. The psychology component was used to explore how students learn by engaging their emotions, opinions, and values, because research shows that information and knowledge are retained to a greater extent when linked to these so-called domains. Some of the questions addressed in the thesis were: What knowledge about biodiversity do students acquire? What emotional reactions arise when they are presented with evidence of humanity’s negative impact on nature? And do they develop the ability to take action to help preserve biodiversity?
The Effects of Teaching About the Biodiversity Crisis
The questions formed the basis for the study, which was based on a two-week course for 15 high school students taking Biology B at a high school. Freja Korsholm used, among other things, pre- and post-mind maps of the students’ perceptions of biodiversity, conducted interviews with the students, and made observations during class sessions.
The mind maps on biodiversity created after the course were significantly more complex and included, for example, terms such as “biodiversity crisis,” “the role of humans,” “politics,” and “society.” Before the course, the students did not associate such terms with the word “biodiversity.”
In summary, perhaps the most significant observation was that many students were unaware that a biodiversity crisis exists and, consequently, were also unaware that it is caused by humans. On the other hand, the students are well aware of the climate crisis. It was therefore an eye-opener for them to realize that it is our responsibility as humans to take action and try to solve the biodiversity crisis.
Listen to Freja discuss the project’s methodology and results, as well as how the teaching materials can be used in the classroom, here:
The entire thesis can be read here: Thesis Project – Freja Korsholm
What about public schools?
This high level of interest is a sign that one of today’s greatest global challenges is becoming more prominent in society—including in secondary education. IPBES in Denmark will soon be presenting brand-new educational materials for elementary schools. This resource will address 14 questions about the biodiversity crisis through an equal number of short articles aimed directly at students, each accompanied by one or more hands-on student assignments.
This educational material was developed through a collaboration between IPBES in Denmark and the Danish Biology Association, and it will also be made available for free download on the IPBES in Denmark website. Like the high school materials, the articles are based on the very latest findings from the global IPBES reports as well as Danish research, and have been quality-assured by 15 leading Danish university researchers. The articles can be downloaded individually but will also be published as a special issue of the Danish Biology Association’s magazine, *Kaskelot*, which will arrive on the desks in teachers’ lounges at all Danish private and public schools throughout May. Even south of the border, “Danish” schools will receive copies of the booklet.
The information in the booklet will also be relevant and useful to many other users.
