Student Teachers ’ Knowledge of Biodiversity

Within this Decade on Biodiversity from 2011-2020, educational institutions are expected to play a critical role to educate their students for better understanding of biodiversity. According to the United Nations, the ultimate aim of the Decade on Biodiversity is to ensure the integration of biodiversity considerations into work related to the core issues of sustainable development. In the Decade on Biodiversity, knowledge about biodiversity is crucial because the outcomes of human activities nowadays are affecting the equilibrium of biodiversity in the world. Biodiversity education becomes necessary to educate people and promote awareness on biodiversity. Teachers are most influential in educating people to protect biodiversity and integrate it through biodiversity education. Teachers should be knowledgeable about biodiversity to ensure the successful integration of biodiversity education in teaching. This paper reports on various aspects of knowledge of biodiversity among student teachers, thus their readiness to integrate biodiversity education in teaching. The results suggest future study directed towards the need for more concerted effort in teacher education to prepare teachers with the necessary knowledge to integrate biodiversity education.