2019 Volume 60 Issue 2 Pages 279-289
Observing animals and plants to understand and appreciate diverse forms of life is an important topic in scientific education. However, unlike plants, soil animals are not well studied in the context of classroom preparation, and thus are seldom used as teaching tools. The development of observational learning sessions utilizing soil animals (e.g., worms, including nematodes) leads students to be able to observe a wide range of animals in their immediate surroundings, which can enhance their understanding of diverse life forms and foster a sense of appreciation for life. In the current study, we proposed a simplified collection method for soil nematodes and aimed to have students observe these animals. A concept map activity conducted before and after class showed that the observation of the active movements of these soil animals, including nematodes, led to a change in students’ attitudes toward living organisms as well as life in general, while enhancing their learning experience. Even though they were presented with it beforehand, the label “nematode” was only used by a limited number of students before the session; however, most students were able to associate nematodes with soil by the end of the session. Changes in students’ usage of linking words in the concept maps suggested that they clearly recognized that diverse forms of soil animals live in their surrounding environment and, further, that they had a renewed perspective of, and appreciation for, life. We believe that these results suggest that such experiential learning modules with soil nematodes have unique advantages over traditional classroom learning, and, moreover, that they provide valuable opportunities for students in understanding the diversity of life and fostering a sense of appreciation for life.
