Ecological Literacy in Teacher Education: Understanding Structuring Ecological Concepts among Prospective Primary School Teachers

Abstract

Achieving an ecologically literate citizenry requires transforming how we train those who will educate. This study analyzes the level of understanding of core ecological concepts among 60 undergraduate students in Primary Education, identifying key barriers to effective environmental education. A qualitative analysis was conducted based on an open-ended questionnaire linked to contextualized audiovisual material. The results reveal a limited, fragmented, and strongly anthropocentric understanding of fundamental ecological ideas. Frequent alternative conceptions were identified, including difficulties in representing complex trophic relationships and confusion between ecology as a scientific field and environmentalism as a socio-political movement. These gaps highlight the weak ecological literacy within initial teacher education. The study highlights the urgent need to integrate ecology as a tool for developing systems thinking and responsible decision-making, beyond its treatment as isolated content. It also provides empirical evidence to inform curricular redesign from a critical, interdisciplinary, and sustainability-oriented perspective.