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Research in Didactics of Natural Sciences and Pedagogical Innovation for Scientific Education

April 2020

DOI:10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-89816-74-7

ISBN: 9789389816747

Authors:

Anouar Alami

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University

Zaki Moncef

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University

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Students' perceptions of importance of plants and their classification

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Students' perceptions of interest of plant classification

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Students' knowledge about plants (Reproduction)

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Students' knowledge about plants (Biology)

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Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory in Didactics of Science and Technology, LIRDIST, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz,

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, P.B. 2626, Fez 30000, Morocco.

Applied Human Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Sais-Fes, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah

University, P.B. 2626, Fez 30000, Morocco.

*Corresponding author: E-mail: alamianouar@yahoo.fr, anouar.alami@usmba.ac.ma;

Chapter 9

Print ISBN: 978-93-89816-74-7, eBook ISBN: 978-93-89816-75-4

Critical Study of Education for Sustainable

Development and Teaching Biodiversity in the

Classroom of the Sciences of the Moroccan School

System: A Case Study based on the Ministry's

Grades and School Curricula from Primary to

Secondary School and Qualifying

Asma Id Babou

, Bouchta El Batri

, Maskour Lhoussaine

, Omar Jiyed

El Mostapha Aouine

, Anouar Alami

and Moncef Zaki

DOI:

10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-89816-74-7

ABSTRACT

Biodiversity education increases human awareness in order to maintain the services provided by

natural ecosystems. Hence, the interest in implementing educational projects targeting biodiversity

education. However, it is important to integrate this concept into school curricula. Although it is a

seemingly complex concept, biodiversity is now considered an indicator of sustainable development

and is of strong educational interest. Education for sustainable development can be provided through

science education on the concept of biodiversity. Thus, this chapter is reserved for qualitative and

qualitative analyses in which we present the place of education for sustainable development and the

concept of biodiversity in our science education curricula.

Keywords: Biodiversity; science education; life and earth sciences; education for sustainable

development; Moroccan school curricula.

1. INTRODUCTION

The 21

century is witnessing an international movement of school reforms through improved

curricula and syllabic. The aim is to ensure learning around objects and phenomena that affect the

daily lives of learners in order to develop skills and eco-responsible behavior [1]. In other words, it is a

question of establishing learning that makes it possible “to improve the quality of human life while

respecting the carrying capacities of the ecosystems that shelter us” [2], thus learning that makes it

possible to ensure the sustainable development of the environment and society.

According to the National Education and Training Charter [3], sustainable development (SD) is “a

development process that meets the needs of the present without compromising those of future

generations”. According to Article 31 of the new Moroccan Constitution (2011), “The State, public

institutions and local authorities shall work to mobilize all available means to facilitate equal access of

citizens to the conditions enabling them to enjoy the right to sustainable development. Furthermore,

SD is presented either as a scientific standard [4] or as a political or politicized standard [5]. Education

for Sustainable Development (ESD) is, therefore, a choice of the education system in Morocco, which

Research in Didactics of Natural Sciences and Pedagogical Innovation for Scientific Education

Critical Study of Education for Sustainable Development and Teaching Biodiversity in the Classroom of the Sciences of the

Moroccan School System: A Case Study based on the Ministry's Grades and School Curricula from Primary to Secondary

School and Qualifying

112

is in symbiosis with the national education policy. The relevance and degree of integration of ESD into

our school curricula should then be examined.

Biodiversity is a complex concept [6]. It can be discussed scientifically and socially, and it is also

discussed its teaching at school. We can treat biodiversity in two ways [7]: biodiversity as biological

diversity, and biodiversity as a component of sustainable development.

This study is part of biodiversity education. The analysis conducted focuses on the formal science

program at the elementary, high school and qualifying levels. It will make it possible to question the

content of teaching and to raise the problems of coherence and compatibility between the different

school levels.

In order to comply with the official instructions and objectives of the Ministry of Education, aimed,

among other things, at making students aware of the need to achieve sustainable development, we

conducted a quantitative and qualitative analysis to highlight the content of the program in terms and

concept of biodiversity.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1 Corpus

We conducted two types of qualitative and quantitative analyses on our corpus consisting of:

Table 1. Official documents used in curriculum analysis

Title:

Year:

Publisher:

The White Book, Part II, Primary School

Curriculum

June 2002 Curriculum and School Life

Directorate.

Life and Earth Sciences Curriculum -

Collegiate High School

August 2009 Directorate of Curriculum and

School Life

Life and Earth Sciences Curriculum -

Qualifying High School

November 2007 Curriculum and School Life

Directorate.

Renovation of the primary curriculum of 1

, 3

, 4

year.

May 2019 Curriculum Directorate

2.2 Lexicometric Analysis

It is a quantitative analysis based on the implementation of a corpus analysis from a word or a class of

words in order to build an interpretation afterward.

The presence and development of the term of the term Biodiversity in Life and Earth Sciences (LES)

curricula is a sign of the transposition of ESD in LES.

We used CATMA 6.0.8, (https://app.catma.de/catma) a web-based application for text annotation,

analysis, and visualization. This application supports the analysis of documents written in the Arabic

language in our corpus.

2.3 Thematic Analysis

It is a qualitative approach based on an attentive and exhaustive reading of the corpus, making it

possible to mark and code the textual elements of what we have called “the dimensions to biodiversity

teaching”.

It is possible to identify a certain number of epistemological elements leading to the identification of

relationships between biodiversity and some old themes of the Life and Earth Sciences programs

(LES) [8].

Research in Didactics of Natural Sciences and Pedagogical Innovation for Scientific Education

Critical Study of Education for Sustainable Development and Teaching Biodiversity in the Classroom of the Sciences of the

Moroccan School System: A Case Study based on the Ministry's Grades and School Curricula from Primary to Secondary

School and Qualifying

113

3. RESULTS

3.1 Education for Sustainable Development in Official Documents

A UNESCO report, July 2017, challenges us. He cites the importance of establishing an indicator that

attempts to measure the degree to which countries are integrating ESD into their education systems.

This indicator should not normally be limited to "signaling" or "mentioning" ESD in policies, curricula,

teacher education, and student development, but should also "track" the share of time allocated to

ESD in the timetables of different levels of education and "benchmark" the priority of ESD in several

subjects in order to change the levels of ESD integration on a multi-level scale.

According to the report, ESD is defined as follows: ESD empowers learners to make informed

decisions and take responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and just society

for present and future generations while respecting cultural diversity. This falls within the field of

lifelong learning and is an integral part of quality education.

However, the limitation of this indicator is that it does not measure and assess the learning outcomes

achieved by learners after the implementation of ESD in the education system.

Morocco has devoted a great deal of effort throughout the four successive education reforms to

establish the principles of education for the environment and sustainable development (ESD).

Aware of the high costs of environmental degradation and its impact on development, Morocco is

constantly developing its national programs and sectoral strategies for environmental conservation

and sustainable development [9].

Several multilateral agreements clearly reflect Morocco's commitment to education for sustainable

development and its ratification of the three Rio conventions on biological diversity, climate change

and the fight against desertification.

In 1979, the environment and sustainable development were introduced for the first time in the natural

science curricula of secondary schools as educational activities, thus responding to the demographic

and health constraints of the time.

In the 1985 reform, the aim was to convince learners of the need to preserve an environmental

balance by avoiding the abuse of natural resources and economic energies.

In 1994, two years after the Earth Summit in Rio, the school curriculum was oriented towards a

"pedagogy by objectives" by giving greater emphasis to the environmental dimension and sustainable

development [10].

Six years later, Morocco adopted the National Charter for Education and Training (CNEF), which

advocates taking into account the natural environment of the school as a place for combating the

various scourges of society: pollution, corruption, disease, malnutrition. Several articles in the CNEF

stress the importance of raising the authorities' awareness of the environmental issue and, above all,

of the links between it and socio-economic development.

This evolution of school curricula, observed in the course of education reforms, attests to Morocco's

concern to embark on the path of sustainable development in accordance with its international

commitments. This provides citizens with the knowledge and motivation needed to streamline

environmental management.

Since the creation of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment (FM6E),

innovative programs and projects have been developed, notably the international program "Eco-

Schools", which is fully in line with the Foundation's mission: Environmental Education.

Research in Didactics of Natural Sciences and Pedagogical Innovation for Scientific Education

Critical Study of Education for Sustainable Development and Teaching Biodiversity in the Classroom of the Sciences of the

Moroccan School System: A Case Study based on the Ministry's Grades and School Curricula from Primary to Secondary

School and Qualifying

114

In order to generalize and gradually introduce the program in primary schools, a partnership

agreement was signed between FM6E and the Ministry of National Education on 24 April 2010, under

the Presidency of Their Royal Highnesses Prince Moulay Rachid and Princess Lalla Hasnaa, on the

occasion of the celebration of Earth Day.

This Programme aims to integrate environmental education into the school curriculum, and enables

learners and the different actors in the school to build a concrete environmental project for the place

they share.

It is an in vivo experience, which will later enable them to convey and defend behaviors and lifestyles

that are respectful of their environment.

The program aims to enable teachers to integrate Environmental Education into their lessons by

establishing links with the subjects they teach, to make learners aware of environmental issues,

enabling them to become aware of the impact of their behavior on the environment and to promote

Environmental Management practices through the involvement of local elected officials.

Since 2013, the Mohamed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment has signed a

partnership with the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training, following the global

orientation to encourage the establishment of education on the global environment and sustainable

development (ESDD).

Morocco is part of the network of partners of the UNESCO Global Action Project for ESD through the

Mohamed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment (2014). The latter is part of the global

ESD community of practice, which is active in the area of "capacity-building for educators and

trainers".

3.2 Education for Sustainable Development in Ministerial Notes

We chose to make an analysis of the contents of the ministerial notes published since 2015, to see

whether the new reform of the 2015-2030 [11] vision will infect the orientations of the Ministry of

National Education. Thus, we deduce:



A total absence of the term "education for sustainable development". On the other hand, there

has been interesting in "human rights education" and "environmental education" since 2016;



Diversification of educational activities promoted by the Ministry of National Education relating

to "environmental education":

+ Charter for the Environment in Schools (2015);

+ Young Journalists for the Environment Contest (2017);

+ Ecological Schools (2017);

+ Awareness campaign on cleanliness education (2017).

3.3 Biodiversity in School Curricula

Results of the lexicometric analysis: According to the lexicometric analysis of our corpus, using the

CATMA 6.0.8 online application, the word "Biodiversity" is cited in the corpus with a frequency of zero.

The integration of the term "Biodiversity" as such in the body of the texts of the primary school science

curricula and the LES subject of the college high school and qualifying Moroccan, is not yet updated.

Results of the thematic analysis: A reading of the content of science curricula is necessary to show

how the concept of "Biodiversity" is taught. We have developed an analytical grid based on five

dimensions to identify and code biodiversity education:

- Classification of living things;

- Ecology;

Research in Didactics of Natural Sciences and Pedagogical Innovation for Scientific Education

Critical Study of Education for Sustainable Development and Teaching Biodiversity in the Classroom of the Sciences of the

Moroccan School System: A Case Study based on the Ministry's Grades and School Curricula from Primary to Secondary

School and Qualifying

115

- Genetics and the concept of species;

- Theory of evolution;

- Human activities and behaviors.

Table 2. Biodiversity analysis grid in Moroccan science curricula

Dimensions of biodiversity

education

Classification

of the living

Ecology

Genetics

and the

concept

species

Theory

evolution

Human

activities and

behaviours

Primary 1

year + + - - +

year + + - - -

year + + - - +

year + + - + +

grade - - - - -

College

High

School

year + + - + +

year - - + - -

year - - - - -

Lycée

qualifying

Common

core

Sc. + + - - +

L. - + - - +

year

Bac

LES - - - + -

M./PC

- - + + +

L. - - + - -

Year

Bac

LES - - + + -

M. - - + + +

PC - - + - -

Sc. A. - - + - +

Sc.: Science / L.: Humanities / LES: Life and Earth Sciences / M.: Mathematics / PC: Physics-Chemistry /

Agronomy Sc.

From the above table, it can be deduced that the dimensions of Biodiversity education are spread out

in the primary and high school college curricula and qualified as follows:

The dimension of "classification of living things" and that of "ecology" have been dealt with in almost

all levels of primary education, only in the first year of middle school and the common core of

qualifying high school.

The approach linked to the dimensions of "genetics and the notion of species" and that of "theory of

evolution" is organized in stages from the college high school to the high school qualifying especially

in the second year for the scientific branches (LES, M., PC, Sc.A.).

Finally, only the dimension "Human activities and behavior" is of a special nature:



It is only in the renewed 2019 primary school curricula that this aspect occupies an important

place;



For the college, it is treated only in the first year;



For the qualifying high school, the stakes become higher for almost all branches combined.

The difficulties that can arise when dealing with the concept of biodiversity in these different

dimensions can be noted. The treatment of the complexity of the notion of biodiversity should normally

encourage a certain progression in the level of difficulty from primary school to qualifying high school.

This progress must be made in different ways. First of all, the scientific aspect. Secondly, the

pragmatic aspect.

Research in Didactics of Natural Sciences and Pedagogical Innovation for Scientific Education

Critical Study of Education for Sustainable Development and Teaching Biodiversity in the Classroom of the Sciences of the

Moroccan School System: A Case Study based on the Ministry's Grades and School Curricula from Primary to Secondary

School and Qualifying

116

4. DISCUSSION

This analysis shows us that the concept of biodiversity is implicitly taken into account in school

curricula. The lack of integration into the programs is questioned. Moreover, this concept gives the

impression of a dichotomy: on the one hand, a disciplinary vision marked by a classification approach

of living and ecological, and on the other hand, a heritage vision where Man is presented as the

manager of ecosystems. Faced with this, we will seek to assess the presence or absence of the

creation of links between the knowledge constructed and the social aspects of the notion of

biodiversity during its teaching in Moroccan classrooms.

The new impetus is being given to adopt new measures and to improve the quality of the Moroccan

education system. In order to improve the educational process in our country, it is necessary to

include it in the strategy of sustainable development outlined by the United Nations as a local societal

solution.

ESD is an active education, using interdisciplinary approaches. It has the power to assist in the

formation of a future citizen, capable of forming a personal judgment and acting accordingly.

This is a cultural mutation to be produced, hence the role of the school. Learners need to be strongly

involved in ESD issues. Motivation is not sufficient for such an education. It will, therefore, be

necessary to develop human activities rather than knowledge and motivation [12].

At the political level, the state of ESD at the global level is being developed. The reality differs from

country to country. The generalization of ESD is a "voluntarist" political decision. In the case of

developing countries, education policy is 'imposed' by the World Bank. According to the UN's SD

Agenda 2030 [13], Education ranks 4th on the list of 17 SD goals (SDOs) to be achieved by 2030.

The attainment of these DOs must be considered as a whole by all the states of the world. The

policies implemented within this framework must be coherent and at the national level, we currently

have opportunities in Morocco that must be seized in order to make progress towards ESD. This is

the NSDS, which enables the institutions concerned to work together to achieve the objectives of this

strategy and SD in general.

5. CONCLUSION

It is thus important to invest in the development of the cognitive assessment of the concept of

biodiversity in order to improve the performance of pupils so that their knowledge is transformed into

know-how and behavior [14] that enables them to solve environmental problems. This will give rise to

education for sustainable development.

COMPETING INTERESTS

Authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Moroccan School System: A

Case Study based on the Ministry's Grades and School Curricula from Primary to Secondary

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and behavior into account. Éducation et socialisation. Les Cahiers du CERFEE

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Biography of author(s)

Asma Id Babou

Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory in Didactics of Science and Technology, LIRDIST, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz,

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, P.B. 2626, Fez 30000, Morocco.

She was born in June 1985 in Tiznit

, Morocco. She is a trainer at the regional center for education and training (CRMEF) in

Guelmim Oued Noun. She previously worked as a teacher of life and earth sciences at the qualifying high school for ten years.

In parallel with her teaching duties, she

continued his university studies at the Faculty of Science, Ibn Zohr Agadir, where she

obtained her Bachelor and Master's Degree in "environmental geology". She is currently pursuing for her Ph.D. degree at Sidi

Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Faculty o

Bouchta El Batri

Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory in Didactics of Science and Technology, LIRDIST, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz,

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, P.B. 2626, Fez 30000, Morocco.

He was born in July 1971 in Meknes, Morocco, where he completed his primary and secondary studies and obtained his DEUG

diploma. In 1997, he graduated from the regional pedagogical center to work as a teacher of life and earth sciences. In paral

with hi

s teaching duties, he continued his university studies at the Faculty of Science, Dhar El Mahraz Fez, where he obtained

his Bachelor and Master's Degree in "Ecology and Environmental Conservation for Sustainable Development". He is currently

pursuing for h

er Ph.D. degree at Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Faculty of Sciences, Dhar El Mahraz, Fez, Morocco.

He has published 6 research articles indexed in several databases (Scopus, Web of science, Eric, ProQuest, Ebsco...). ORCID

ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6428-8478

Research in Didactics of Natural Sciences and Pedagogical Innovation for Scientific Education

Critical Study of Education for Sustainable Development and Teaching Biodiversity in the Classroom of the Sciences of the

Case Study based on the Ministry's Grades and School Curricula from Primary to Secondary

School and Qualifying

117

ESD curriculum: Principles of

design and development

presented at the International Colloquium "Education for Sustainable Development and

Biodiversity: Concepts, Vivid Questions, Tools and Practices", Digne les Bains

;

2010.

Neighbour C. Benchmarks for teaching biodiversity in the science classroom

MDCE. Delegate Ministry in charge of the

environment

. Framework Law No. 99

National Charter for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Official Bulletin. n

March 20, 2014. Rabat, Morocco

; 2014.

Chafiqi F, Alagui A. Educational reform in Morocco and overhaul of curricula in

disciplines. Carrefours de l'éducation.

2011;3:29.

CSEFRS. For a school of equity, quality and promotion. A strategic vision of

reform 2015

(Report 2015). Higher Council for Education,

Training and Scientific Research. Morocco

Education for sustainable development in schools

. Paris :

L’Harmattan

Franc S, Reynaud C, Hasni A. Towards biodiversity education:

Taking

knowledge, affectivity

and behavior into account. Éducation et socialisation. Les Cahiers du CERFEE

2013;

UN. United Nations. Transforming our world:

The 2030 agenda for

sustainable development

Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory in Didactics of Science and Technology, LIRDIST, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz,

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, P.B. 2626, Fez 30000, Morocco.

, Morocco. She is a trainer at the regional center for education and training (CRMEF) in

Guelmim Oued Noun. She previously worked as a teacher of life and earth sciences at the qualifying high school for ten years.

continued his university studies at the Faculty of Science, Ibn Zohr Agadir, where she

obtained her Bachelor and Master's Degree in "environmental geology". She is currently pursuing for her Ph.D. degree at Sidi

Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Faculty o

f Sciences, Dhar El Mahraz, Fez, Morocco.