Gauging university students' understanding of biodiversity-loss using concept cartoons

Abstract

This study investigated and assessed tertiary-level students’ understanding of biodiversity-loss using concept cartoons, adding to the sparse but growing body of research focused on Maltese university populations. Twenty students from a range of academic backgrounds at the University of Malta were interviewed individually, either online or in person, and their responses were transcribed for analysis. The study combined meaning-analysis with researcher-generated concept maps and situated the findings within the broader international literature to evaluate both the coherence of students’ perceptions and the pedagogical potential of the visual tools employed. Overall, the findings indicate that students’ conceptualisations of biodiversity ranged from narrow, species-centred interpretations to more integrated understandings that acknowledged genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. Although most participants recognised biodiversity-loss as an urgent environmental issue, many still equated biodiversity primarily with visible or charismatic organisms, a pattern consistent with international evidence on species-literacy gaps and plant awareness disparity. Students generally attributed biodiversity-loss to human activity and identified multiple interacting drivers. These reflections frequently blended global narratives with local development and spatial constraints, illustrating how place-based experience shapes environmental reasoning. The interviews also revealed a rich ethical and emotional landscape. Students drew on utilitarian, intrinsic, and relational value positions, with many expressing anxiety and frustration alongside a guarded sense of hope. These affective responses influenced how they interpreted environmental problems and envisioned possible forms of action. Notably, students acknowledged both the importance and the limits of individual behaviour, often contrasting small everyday practices with the structural influence of governmental and corporate decisions. Such reflections parallel international findings on young people’s complex emotional engagement with ecological change. Finally, concept cartoons and concept maps proved valuable in eliciting prior knowledge, surfacing misconceptions, and supporting reflective dialogue. The cartoons offered accessible entry points into discussion, encouraging students to articulate and examine contrasting viewpoints, while the concept maps provided a clear visual record of the structure and completeness of participants’ ideas. Together, these tools demonstrated strong potential for higher-education settings concerned with biodiversity learning and environmental literacy.