Assessing ecological literacy and its application based on linguistic ecology: a case study of Guiyang City, China

Abstract

To address the frequent emergence of ecological problems, ecology has intersected with various disciplines. From the perspective of linguistic ecology, ecological literacy is an important concept that combines the subjects of ecology and linguistics. It not only discusses ecological issues, but also establishes a linguistic framework. Here, we constructed a quantitative method of assessing ecological literacy from the perspective of linguistic ecology. Ecological literacy was divided into five parts: ecological knowledge literacy, ecological awareness literacy, ecological ethics literacy, ecological emotional literacy, and ecological behavioral literacy. Each of these was set with four quantitative indicators that were evaluated through eight questions. A case study was conducted to investigate the ecological literacy of the inhabitants of Guiyang City, one of China’s top ten ecologically advanced cities. The results showed that the proposed assessment method was an effective way to evaluate the level of ecological literacy comprehensively. In the case analysis, the overall ecological literacy level of Guiyang inhabitants was relatively good, and the levels of the five specific dimensions of them in descending order were as follows: ecological ethics literacy, ecological emotional literacy, ecological awareness literacy, ecological knowledge literacy, and ecological behavioral literacy. The results of this study are conducive to the production of targeted ways to improve the level of ecological literacy for sustainable development. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-021-16753-7.

Ekolojik Okuryazarlığa Yönelik Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenlerinin Görüşleri ve Farkındalıkları

“…As another result of the research, teachers generally state the aims of ecological literacy education, including behavioral, cognitive and affective content. In line with this result, it is seen that the aims of ecological literacy stated by the teachers are similar to the literature (Schwartz, 1999;Wooltorton, 2006;Ha et al, 2021). As a matter of fact, ecological literacy aims to understand the dynamics of the modern world, to understand the nature of ecological problems and to design sustainable lifestyles (Boehnert, 2013).…”

“…Turkoğlu (2019) stated that teachers and teacher candidates prefer experiment and observation, drama and game methods in environmental education. In the relevant literature, students can better grasp the seriousness of ecological problems through activities intertwined with nature (Ha et al, 2021). In addition, Berkowitz et al, (2005) emphasized that learning and teaching should be a content together and field studies should be included in ecological literacy education.…”

“…Ecological literacy is an important term that connects the two topics (Ha, Huang, Zhang & Dong, 2021). When the words that make up the concept of ecological literacy are examined closely, the term "Oekologie" is derived from the Greek words "oikos" and "logos".…”

“…Ecological literacy is the ability to apply, analyze, evaluate, and deeply understand the global environment to make informed decisions as a global citizen (Makin, 2003); using the principles of ecology in daily life for the creation and maintenance of sustainable societies (Capra, 2007); a cquiring and disseminating ecological knowledge, raising awareness of ecological conservation, and guiding ecological behavior in sustainable development (Ha, Huang, Zhang & Dong, 2021). The definitions focus on the reflection of acquired ecological knowledge on behavior (Özer & Yıldırım, 2021).…”

“…In 1992, David Orr introduced the term ecological literacy in his book "Ecological literacy: Education and the transition to a postmodern world" and brought this term to the literature (Boehnert, 2013;McBride, Brewer, Berkowitz & Borrie, 2013;Çabuk, 2019). With ecological literacy, it is aimed to acquire ecological knowledge, to increase ecological awareness, reinforce ecological ethics, improve and strengthen ecological attitudes and behaviors (Ha et al, 2021). Individuals who achieve these goals can be defined as ecologically literate who have a perception and understanding of the past and future consequences of ecosystem dynamics, criticize, research, question and find solutions to ecological problems, and consider themselves a part of nature (Khanal, Pandey, Khan, Mishra & Kunwar, 2020;Özer & Yıldırım, 2021).…”