Research on Climate Change Knowledge among Students of the Department of Biology

Abstract

Climate change is a term used to describe changes in overall weather patterns and an increase in global temperatures worldwide. The phenomenon of climate change is one of the biggest problems facing the majority of the world's population. Today, the popularization of this topic is more and more expressed in non-scientific circles (media), which requires a multidimensional approach in measuring knowledge about the mentioned topic at the academic level. This research gives us an insight into the knowledge of the students of the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Science in Sarajevo about the causes, consequences, and measures to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. In the academic year 2022/2023, a total of 45 respondents filled out the survey, which for practical reasons was divided into six cognitive levels. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. The research showed that biology students are familiar with the basic processes associated with climate change (especially younger students). Also, the respondents are aware of the consequences of climate change and can relate them to the causes. As for mitigation knowledge, students are familiar with measures to mitigate the consequences of climate change but are uninformed about climate-friendly activities. Multiple regression analysis indicated the existence of a statistically significant difference in the knowledge of the respondents. In our case, students of lower years of study and younger age showed better procedural knowledge than older colleagues. With regards to influence of gender on the respondents' knowledge, women are more familiar with the causes of climate change than men.