Exploring the Intersection of Paleontology and Sustainability: Enhancing Scientific Literacy in Spanish Secondary School Students

Abstract

This study aims to assess the knowledge of geology and sustainability among 14- and 15-year-old secondary school students in Spain and to evaluate the effectiveness of active experiential methodologies in improving academic performance in these subjects. Involving 132 students, we used pre-test and post-test questionnaires for data collection, with both control and experimental groups. Our findings showed that integrating Earth history, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and public speaking enhances scientific literacy by fostering problem-solving and interdisciplinary understanding. The study highlights the importance of integrating scientific methods, revealing a preference for experimental approaches over traditional methods among students; however, when the results are analyzed independently by topic, similar results are obtained with active and traditional teaching methodologies. Therefore, a holistic and flexible approach not only meets the requirements of modern curricula but also helps students address complex global challenges.