Biophilia and Its Impact on Achievement, Retention,

and Intrinsic Motivation in Middle School Students

Kimberly Conner, Clay Waterbury, Dr. Michael Bechtel
Department of Biology, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, 50677

Abstract Results
The study researched biophilia, a love for life and living things Academic Achievement
(Wilson 1984), and how natural affinity can be incorporated into 4
middle school classrooms using a 5E lesson plan. Previous studies 3.5
have shown the incorporation of living animals into a classroom

Mean Score Difference Between

Treatment Control
3
can increase student motivation and academic achievement

Pretest and Posttest

(Adcock 2014). Past research has found teaching students with 5E 2.5
lesson plans, rather than the historically accepted Madeline Hunter 2
lesson plan format, increases student academic achievement (Ajaja
1.5
2013). After reviewing relevant protocols, researchers developed
the hypothesis that animals involved in the classroom will produce 1
positive biophilic responses, which in turn affects the achievement, 0.5
retention, and intrinsic motivation of middle school students. n=84 n=18 n=98
0
Students from three school districts in Northeast Iowa (n = 243) School District One School District Two School District Three
were taught physical science lessons with and without living Figure 1 displays the difference in academic achievement for treatment and control
animals. Individual growth within pretests, posttests, and retention groups. Test scores from all three school districts were combined to check for
tests were statistically analyzed. Significant results were found. significant difference between the groups using a paired t-test (t(199) = -0.86, p = 0.20.).

Academic Retention
Introduction 0 n=78 n=16 n=96
The term biophilia was first introduced by Edward O. Wilson in
Mean Score Difference Between

his groundbreaking book, The Biophilia Hypothesis, which defined -0.5

the term as the innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike
Pretest and Posttest

-1
processes (Wilson 1984). Biophilia supports the claim that
educators need to capture students affinity toward living things. -1.5
To accomplish this goal, teachers must provide the opportunities to
learn and discover the natural world (White and Stoecklin 2008). -2
In 1995, Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligences, which state Treatment Control
students learn and process information differently, added the -2.5
eighth learning style, naturalistic, as a fundamental option. These
-3
students needs, addressed through academic strategies, can be School District One School District Two School District Three
assisted with the use of animals. Hummel and Randler (2011) Figure 2 displays the difference in academic retention for the treatment and control
found that classes taught using living organisms increased student groups. Retention was measured by comparing mean score change from posttest to
achievement compared to classes without. Researchers predicted retention test. A paired t-test was used to measure significance (t(189) = 2.27, p = 0.01.).
teaching with animals would have a positive impact on academic Intrinsic Motivation
achievement, concept retention, and personal motivation. 60

Methods 50
School District One
Total Number of Responses

Students in each district were initially divided into two groups School District Two
based on their class period. One day after pretests were given, 40
School District Three
researchers taught lessons that included posttests as assessments. 30
Retention tests were identical to pretests and posttests.
20
Lesson
Group
Pretest with Posttest 10
1
animals Retention
Test 0
1 2 3 4 5 6
and Number Selected on Likert Scale
Intrinsic Figure 3. Students selected a number on a Likert scale of 1 (not at all true of me) to 6
Motivation (very true of me). Above data are results from just one of 10 statements on the intrinsic
Lesson Test motivation test. The statement read, I was more engaged in the lesson when animals
Group were used. A statistical analysis was not performed to test for significance (n = 207).
Pretest without Posttest Four
2
animals weeks later
Conclusions
There was a significant difference in academic
retention between classes taught with and
without living animals. There were no significant
differences found regarding initial achievement.
Future studies could include a longer instruction
period and an increase in student diversity.

Literature Cited Acknowledgements

Hummel E, Randler C. 2012. Living animals in the classroom: a meta-analysis on leaning
outcome and a treatment-control study focusing on knowledge and motivation. Journal of
Science Education and Technology. 21(1):95-105.
Wilson EO. 1984. Biophilia. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press. 1-2.
White R, Stoecklin VL. 2008. Nurturing childrens biophilia: developmentally appropriate
environmental education for young children. Collage: Resources for Early Childhood Educators.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Michael Bechtel for advising us through this
research study, all three area school district principals, cooperating teachers, parents, and
students. We would also like to thank the Wartburg College IRB for allowing us to preform
research with local students in the classroom, Mr. Eric Berns for providing all of our supplies,
Mrs. Ruth Hein for helping us securely store raw data in the Wartburg Science Center, and Ms.
Josie Suchomel and Mr. Casey Krull for providing us with the foundation for our research.