Abstract:
Children acquire knowledge about the biological world through two avenues: informal learning via everyday experience and formal learning through structured school lessons. Starting before formal schooling, they piece together an informal or folk theory about biology which is reflected in their knowledge of, and reasoning about biological concepts and processes like birth, death, nutrition, ecology, etc. An emerging consensus in both the fields of developmental psychology and education is that casual, direct contact with nature influences the development of children’s biological knowledge. Here we review the existing literature on this topic, focusing on the effects of rural versus urban rearing environments, and pet ownership and care, on children’s biological concepts and reasoning. Although the research is limited, the evidence suggests that these factors positively influence children’s understanding of specific biological phenomena (e.g. internal organ function, biological inheritance) and reasoning patterns (e.g., anthropocentrism, ecological reasoning). In the modern context of diminishing outdoor playtime and limited experience with nature, these findings highlight the importance of promoting exposure to the natural world for children’s conceptual development in the domain of biology.Furthermore, although the effects of direct experience on children’s biological knowledge has been explored by both educational researchers and developmental psychologists, very little communication or collaboration between these disciplines has occurred. Considering that early developing folk theories provide a foundation for later formal learning about biology in school, understanding where and how early knowledge about biology is acquired can help in the development of effective educational materials for formally teaching biological concepts. This highlights the need for greater communication and collaboration between the various disciplines involved in early childhood development.