Biology and Geology Teachers’ Perspectives on Environmental Problems and Positioning in an Environmental Ethics Dilemma

Abstract

Current global concerns invite reflection on which qualities, characteristics, or capacities should be prioritised in ecosystems so that judgements of moral relevance lead to actions, policies, and programmes whose impacts are environmentally sustainable. Regarding the importance of teachers’ role in education, as agents of change, it was considered pertinent to investigate the perceptions of Portuguese Biology and Geology teachers about environmental problems and their position concerning an environmental ethical dilemma. A questionnaire was applied at a national level, with closed and open-ended questions. The main results show that: teachers consider all the environmental problems presented to be very relevant; statistically significant relationships were found between age and professional qualifications and the relevance attributed to some environmental problems, showing that age and studies influence their perception of environmental problems; when confronted with lithium mining dilemma, just over half said that this activity has negative impacts on the environment, while the remaining were divided between indecision and a position that tends to be favourable to economic and tourism factors. It seems essential to focus attention on teacher training, particularly using environmental ethics dilemmas, as a starting point for an effective approach that can contribute to the discussion and resolution of environmental problems.

1. Introduction

The 21st century seems to surpass previous centuries in the magnitude of ecological changes that threaten the future of all beings, with devastating consequences for ecosystems, translating into serious problems such as extreme weather events, loss of biodiversity and collapse of ecosystems, critical changes in the Earth’s systems, scarcity of natural resources, pollution (World Economic Forum, 2024). Globalisation, the euro crisis, intercultural and military conflicts, terrorism, digitalisation and demographic changes, among others (Ekardt, 2020; Humaida, 2019), are all factors causing economic disorder, inadequate decisions in the management of policies related to the use of energy, water, hydrocarbon and mineral reserves, and a mismatched relationship with the biosphere in general (Arévalo, 2014; Cotton, 2014). Faced with an apparently difficult environmental future, human beings are challenged with important decisions (DesJardins, 2013). The fundamental ethical issue of our time consists of rethinking the foundations of the multiple ways in which human beings act in relation to the environment, which has become a threat to humanity and the biosphere itself (Parreira, 2007; ten Have & Neves, 2021), in order to reflect on what kind of life we should live, how we should act and what kind of people we should be, in our choices and decision-making in relation to the environment (Baker et al., 2019; DesJardins, 2013). Regarding conflicts of interest involving human beings and other natural entities, environmental ethics allows us to reflect on how to decide and what arguments to invoke for the choices we make, with the task of arbitrating in cases where the incompatibility of interests requires a position to be taken (Beckert, 2012). With the rapid advance of science and technology in an increasingly globalised and postmodern world, new ethical questions continue to arise (Taylor et al., 2019).

A sense of environmental crisis may be enough to draw educational attention to the issue, helping to increase the value of environmental ethics in the public consciousness, of which teachers and students are part, leading ethical issues to become part of the educational agenda in many countries (Baker et al., 2019). Environmental issues often raise ethical dilemmas. By dilemma, from the Greek dílemma, ‘double proposition’, from the Latin dilema, ‘idem’: means a problem that makes two or more solutions available, i.e., when faced with a problem, people are called upon to take a position on two, or more, ethical responses that are possible (The Oxford University Press, 2018). Every dilemma contains an ethical dilemma, i.e., whether the decision is good or bad, fair or unfair, moral or immoral (Figar & Đorđević, 2016). It is a decision-making problem involving contradictory obligations, where the agent is obliged to fulfil one of the obligations but is unable to fulfil all of them (Pesola, 2020) and where there is no simple right or wrong answer (Taylor et al., 2019). The decision-maker is in a conflicted state of mind and needs to analyse the problem in more detail in order to make the best decision under the circumstances (Puiu, 2021). To make the best or right decision in a specific situation, the individual must ask questions and formulate the ethical dilemma and the decision to be made as clearly as possible (Puiu, 2021). However, the best is different for different individuals, organisations and countries (Figar & Đorđević, 2016). Considering an ethical dilemma as a problematic situation that requires a solution from among the range of possible options, it becomes clear the importance of the subject’s reflection at the time of decision-making, situations where people most often find their values in conflict (Figar & Đorđević, 2016).

From the individual’s point of view, the crucial characteristics of a moral dilemma are the following: (1) the individual must carry out each of two (or more) actions; (2) the individual can carry out each of the actions; (3) it is not possible for the individual to carry out both (or all) of the actions; (4) it must be true that none of the conflicting demands overrides the other (otherwise we would be talking about a conflict and not a dilemma) (McConnell, 2022; Pesola, 2020). The individual thus seems doomed to moral failure; whatever they do, they will do something wrong (or fail to do something they should do) (McConnell, 2022).

Science teachers are confronted with these issues and may feel under-equipped and ill-prepared to engage in teaching issues that emphasise moral and scientific reasoning (Taylor et al., 2019). They may feel challenged by professional issues such as teaching strategies and methodologies and how to integrate moral issues into teaching (Taylor et al., 2019). Therefore, it was considered pertinent to investigate the perceptions of Portuguese Biology and Geology teachers about environmental problems and to investigate their position concerning an environmental ethical dilemma.

Science Teachers’ Perspectives and Opinions on Current Environmental Problems and Lithium Mining Dilemma

With regard to the perspectives and opinions of science teachers on environmental problems affecting the world, a number of studies were found.

In some studies, science teachers mention pollution as one of the main environmental problems (Begum, 2012), namely air pollution and the destruction of the ozone layer, blaming human beings for the emergence of these problems (Meilinda et al., 2017). In another study (Yurttas & Sülün, 2010), future science teachers mention the decrease in biodiversity, global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer as the main environmental problems, and in another (Campbell et al., 2010), they mention environmental problems related to the scarcity of natural resources, pollution and the degradation of ecosystems.

In other studies, future science teachers point to urbanisation, deforestation, ozone depletion, rubbish, global warming, population growth and desertification as the main environmental problems (Kasanda et al., 2014) and others mention the scarcity of natural resources, the decline in biodiversity, urbanisation and deforestation, not giving as much importance to erosion and acid rain (Sadik & Sadik, 2014).

In the study by Ozata Yucel and Ozkan (2016), prospective science teachers named air, water, soil and soil pollution, unconscious urbanisation and global warming as the main environmental problems. These authors conclude that future teachers do not have an adequate perception of environmental problems and have focused more on the effects of environmental problems on humans than on other living beings. In the study by Berber (2021), the scarcity of natural resources, pollution (air, water, soil), the destruction of the ozone layer and rubbish are the main problems mentioned by future science teachers. As solutions to these problems, the authors propose raising awareness of them, explaining them with experiments, creating environmental clubs, installing taps with sensors, organising field trips and planting activities. On the other hand, another study (Bertiz & Kiras, 2022) found that future science teachers considered the main environmental problems to be radiation, factory waste and chemical waste in their answers to the questionnaire, highlighting air pollution in the interview.

One of the most debated environmental dilemmas in recent years, in particular in Portugal, is lithium mining. The challenges of the energy transition faced by modern civilisation, namely the global shift towards cleaner energy and electric mobility, have significantly increased the demand for critical metals such as lithium (Balaram et al., 2024; Krishnan & Gopan, 2024). This is not, however, a matter of consensus (Leal-Gomes, 2018; Lima, 2020; Morgado et al., 2020). On one hand, there are favourable aspects, such as job creation and economic development; on the other hand, there are unfavourable aspects, such as the possible environmental impacts caused by open-pit mining and even the dubious profitability of mining (Morgado et al., 2020). Although there are no known studies that indicate the opinion of Portuguese science teachers on this matter, the study by Ribeiro et al. (2021) provides information on the position of two of the local Portuguese populations, which were called to take a position on two, or more, ethical responses that are possible, regarding the possible exploitation of lithium deposits in the Barroso-Alvão region. The authors found that the majority of respondents believe that the exploitation of this geological resource is essential to sustain society’s current standards of living, but they also believe that exploitation should be reduced, opting for new lifestyle behaviours, such as reducing, reusing and recycling products containing minerals. Although many respondents were in favour of pro-environmental behaviours (e.g., using electric cars and reducing the use of fossil fuels), the authors found that their opinions are divided, and there is a significant lack of knowledge about the exploration and exploitation of geological resources in Boticas, possibly due to the advanced age of the population and their low level of education, which leads the authors to propose the inclusion of these topics in Portuguese curricula (Ribeiro et al., 2021; Vasconcelos et al., 2018) as a way of raising awareness of the issue.

2. Materials and Methods

This study is part of a non-experimental, survey-type investigation. In this study, the population is made up of Biology and Geology teachers, from the 3rd cycle of basic education and secondary education (from the 7th to the 12th year of schooling), who were working in public Schools and School Groupings (S/SG) in mainland Portugal. Given the large number of Portuguese teachers of this subject and the demands of the research questions in this study, we only worked with part of this population (sample) (McMillan & Schumacher, 2014). The sampling was phased. First, all public S/SG with 3rd cycle and secondary education were invited to participate through its directors, totalling 506. Then, each director was asked to invite six Biology and Geology teachers to take part in the study, in each of the 506 S/SG in mainland Portugal, with the most heterogeneous characteristics possible (in terms of age, qualifications, length of service and level of teaching predominantly taught). As a result, a total of 293 teachers took part in the study, whose socio-demographic characteristics are shown in

Table 1. Socio-demographic characteristics of the sample. (n = 293).

Categories	Subcategories	f	%
Gender	Female	235	80.2
	Male	57	19.5
Age	40 years old or less	13	4.4
	41–50 years old	107	36.5
	51 years old or more	173	59.0
Professional qualifications	Degree in teaching/educational branch (pre-Bologna)	256	87.4
	Master in teaching (post-Bologna)	11	3.8
	In-service professionalisation or equivalent	26	8.9
Time in service	15 years or less	39	13.3
	16–25 years	79	27.0
	26 years or more	175	59.7
Contractual situation	School board	221	75.4
	Pedagogical zone board	17	5.8
	Hired	54	18.4
Level of education predominantly taught in the last 3 years	3rd cycle of basic education	142	48.5
	Secondary education	151	51.5

. It can be seen that the sample is made up of: mostly (around 80%) female respondents; older age groups, with 51 or more years (59%); around 87% of respondents with professional qualifications at degree level; long lengths of service, with 26 or more years of service (59. 7%); most of the respondents with professional qualifications at degree level. 7%); the majority of respondents were school staff (75.4%); around 49% of teachers mentioned teaching predominantly in the 3rd cycle of basic education and around 51% of teachers mentioned teaching in secondary education.

The questionnaire survey technique was chosen to answer the research objective, as it facilitates the collection of data on biographical information, knowledge, opinions, beliefs, by asking the participants questions in writing (Cohen et al., 2018; McMillan & Schumacher, 2014). To collect data for this study, in addition to the personal data collected, the questionnaire dimension ‘Teachers’ perspectives on environmental problems’ was made up of three questions: two closed-answer questions and one open-answer question, developed from scratch, but considering the literature review done. One of the closed-answer requires that Biology and Geology teachers classify each of the environmental problems presented in terms of their relevance regarding their negative impact on the environment. The other closed-answer requires Biology and Geology teachers to take a stand on lithium mining dilemma in Portugal. To this end, four response options were given, three with more formulated and distinct positions and a final option if the teacher felt that their opinion did not fit in with any of the previous ones. It was intended that the teacher take a stand on this matter. This last question was accompanied by a request for justification (open-answer question), to give the teacher the opportunity to explain their position and to obtain greater reliability of the information collected. Thus, this last one was qualitative and the other two questions were quantitative. The first mentioned quantitative question included scales. Regarding this, it was decided to use four-level scales, excluding the neutral level. The questionnaire was then subjected to a content validity analysis by three science education specialists, followed by an analysis of its suitability for the respondents by three biology and geology teachers with similar characteristics to the sample but who did not take part in the study.

The questionnaire was administered online, using Google Forms, between April 2022 and July 2022 and was previously authorised by the Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics (registration number: 0817000001, Annex 2) and by the Ethics Committee of the University of Minho (document identification number: CEICSH 027/2022, Annex 1).

When processing the data, a priori categories were defined for the closed-answer questions, based on the literature review done, and the teachers’ responses were categorised based on these categories. In the case of the open-ended question, a qualitative analysis of the content of the justifications presented by the teachers was carried out in order to identify the aspects/themes focussed on by the respondents, following the general principles recommended by Braun and Clarke (2006) for inductive thematic analysis. Some examples of responses are given to illustrate the results. As an example, following the advice of McMillan and Schumacher (2014), we used codes composed of the letter T (Teacher) and a digit (from 1 to 293), corresponding to the order number of the teacher who answered the questionnaire, thus varying the codes from T1 to T293.

Once the answers obtained from the analysis of closed-ended questions had been categorised, the data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, using version SPSS-24.0 software (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) of IBM SPSS Statistics. In order to carry out the inferential analysis and taking into account compliance with the necessary criteria for carrying out parametric tests, and after carrying out the Kolmogorov Smirnov normality test, whose Null Hypothesis (H0) is that the data is normally distributed, and given that the pvalue result was (p < 0.05) for the variables under study, we rejected the Null Hypothesis (H0) and assumed that the sample does not follow a normal distribution. Non-parametric tests were therefore used. To correlate ‘Age group, qualifications, length of service’ and the variables under study, Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used, a non-parametric measure of association between at least two ordinal variables. This coefficient is obtained by replacing the values of the observations with their respective orders. Measures of association quantify the intensity and direction of the association between two variables (Marôco, 2014). The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the degree of relevance of the question under study according to the ‘Level of Education Read’, which is the non-parametric test suitable for comparing the distribution functions of at least an ordinal variable measured in two independent samples (Marôco, 2014). To check the association between the ‘Level of Education Taught’ and the question ‘About lithium mining in Portugal, what opinion do you agree with?’ the Chi-square test (x2) was applied, which is used to test whether two or more independent populations (or groups) differ with regard to a given characteristic (Marôco, 2014).

In the case of answers that were not in line with the question posed, they were considered non-responses.

3. Results

To analyse the perspectives of Biology and Geology teachers on environmental problems, at a first moment teachers were asked about the relevance of some environmental problems presented. Thus, initially, teachers were asked to assign a degree of relevance (from not relevant to exceptionally relevant) to some environmental problems, in terms of their negative impact on the environment.

From the frequency of relevance attributed in terms of negative impact on the environment (

Table 2. Frequency of degree of relevance in terms of negative impact on the environment. (n = 293).

Relevance in Terms of Negative Impact on the Environment						Percentiles
	n	Mean	Sd	Min	Max	25	50	75
Deforestation	293	3.72	0.51	2	4	3	4	4
Global warming	293	3.66	0.55	2	4	3	4	4
Pollution	293	3.65	0.56	2	4	3	4	4
Over-exploitation of natural resources	293	3.65	0.57	2	4	3	4	4
Soil degradation	293	3.53	0.58	2	4	3	4	4
Ozone depletion	293	3.40	0.71	1	4	3	4	4
Intensive agricultural production	293	3.40	0.60	2	4	3	3	4
Overpopulation	293	3.39	0.65	2	4	3	3	4
Acid rain	293	3.21	0.69	1	4	3	3	4

(1 = Not at All/Little Relevant|2 = Moderately Relevant|3 = Very Relevant|4 = Exceptionally Relevant).

), the items with the highest relevance, namely Exceptionally Relevant (4), were attributed to deforestation (average = 3.72), global warming (average = 3.66), pollution (average = 3.65), over-exploitation of natural resources (average = 3.65), and soil degradation (average = 3.53). This was followed by the degree of relevance Very Relevant (3) attributed to ozone depletion (average = 3.40), intensive agricultural production (average = 3.40), overpopulation (average = 3.39) and acid rain (average = 3.21).

To check the correlation between age group, professional qualifications, length of service and the environmental problems presented in the questionnaire, SPSS was used and it was found that there were statistically significant correlations (

Table 3. Correlation coefficient between age group, qualifications, service time and the variables under study.

Relevance in Terms of Negative Impact on the Environment	Age Group	Qualifications	Service Time
Global warming	0.006	0.039	0.039
Acid rain	0.063	−0.124 *	0.114
Soil degradation	−0.104	−0.032	−0.042
Deforestation	−0.004	−0.035	0.019
Ozone depletion	0.117 *	−0.051	0.090
Pollution	−0.018	−0.020	0.007
Intensive agricultural production	−0.090	−0.129 *	−0.046
Over-exploitation of natural resources	−0.027	−0.044	0.014
Overpopulation	−0.060	−0.015	−0.003

* Statistically significant values.

), at the 0.05 level (two-sided), together with the symbol (*). This indicates that the correlation is statistically significant and that the probability of the result being random is less than 5% (or 0.05). Thus, the correlation between age group, professional qualifications, length of service and the variables under study (Table 3) is statistically significant. In terms of the negative impact on the environment, it was found that: the degree of importance attributed to the destruction of the ozone layer is positively correlated with age (r = 0.117 *); the degree of importance attributed to acid rain is negatively correlated with professional qualifications (r = −0.124 *); the degree of importance attributed to intensive agricultural production is negatively correlated with professional qualifications (r = −0.129 *).

More specifically, this means that in this sample, the higher the age of the teachers, the greater relevance they give to the environmental problem of ozone depletion in terms of its negative impact on the environment, and vice versa. The other statistically significant results show that, in this sample, the lower the teachers’ professional qualifications, the greater the importance they attach to acid rain and intensive agricultural production in terms of their negative impact on the environment, and vice versa.

With regard to the other environmental problems, there were no statistically significant correlations, i.e., no consistent relationship between the variables was identified in the data analysed, which indicates that any association observed in the coefficients can be attributed to chance and does not represent a statistically reliable relationship between the variables.

When comparing the degree of relevance attributed to the variables under study according to the level of education predominantly taught, i.e., 3rd cycle of basic education or secondary education (

Table 4. Comparison of the degree of relevance according to level of education taught.

Relevance in Terms of Negative Impact on the Environment	3rd Cycle of Basic Education			Secondary
	n	Mean	Sd	n	Mean	Sd	p
Global warming	142	3.7	0.6	151	3.7	0.5	0.641
Acid rain	142	3.2	0.7	151	3.3	0.7	0.133
Soil degradation	142	3.6	0.6	151	3.5	0.6	0.405
Deforestation	142	3.7	0.5	151	3.7	0.5	0.294
Ozone depletion	142	3.4	0.7	151	3.4	0.7	0.809
Pollution	142	3.7	0.5	151	3.6	0.6	0.467
Intensive agricultural production	142	3.4	0.6	151	3.4	0.6	0.378
Over-exploitation of natural resources	142	3.7	0.5	151	3.6	0.6	0.311
Overpopulation	142	3.4	0.7	151	3.4	0.6	0.890

), there were no statistically significant differences.

To analyse the perspectives of Biology and Geology teachers on environmental ethical dilemma, at a second moment, teachers were asked to give their position on lithium mining dilemma in Portugal and to duly justify their choice. Thus, regarding the frequency of agreement with lithium mining in Portugal (

Table 5. Agreement with lithium exploration in Portugal (n = 293).

On Lithium Mining in Portugal. What Opinion Do You Agree With?	n	%
A—Lithium exploration will be of strategic importance for Portugal and Europe.	55	18.8
B—Lithium mining will have a negative impact on the quality of the environment.	153	52.2
C—Lithium mining will have negative impacts on the natural landscape and tourism.	44	15.0
None	41	14.0

), around half of the participants agreed with option B—Lithium mining will have negative impacts on the quality of the environment (52.2%), followed by option A—Lithium mining will have strategic importance for Portugal and Europe (18.8%) and option C—Lithium mining will have negative impacts on the natural landscape and tourism (15%). The remaining 14 per cent were unable to choose any of the above options (A, B or C), indicating that they needed more information to position themselves.

SPSS was then used to cross-check the question ‘About lithium mining in Portugal. Which opinion do you agree with?’ and the level of education predominantly taught by the teachers (

Table 6. Chi-squared test.

On Lithium Mining in Portugal. What Opinion Do You Agree With?	Level of Education Taught
		3rd Cycle of Basic Education	Secondary	Total	p
A—Lithium exploration will be of strategic importance for Portugal and Europe.	N	24	31	55
	% Exploitation	43.6%	56.4%	100.0%
	% Level of Education	16.9%	20.5%	18.8%
B—Lithium mining will have a negative impact on the quality of the environment.	N	80	73	153
	% Exploitation	52.3%	47.7%	100.0%
	% Level of Education	56.3%	48.3%	52.2%
C—Lithium mining will have negative impacts on the natural landscape and tourism.	N	21	23	44
	% Exploitation	47.7%	52.3%	100.0%
	% Level of Education	14.8%	15.2%	15.0%
None	N	17	24	41
	% Exploitation	41.5%	58.5%	100.0%
	% Level of Education	12.0%	15.9%	14.0%
Total	N	142	151	293
	% Exploitation	48.5%	51.5%	100.0%
	% Level of Education	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	0.527

), i.e., 3rd cycle of basic education and secondary education, and it was found that there was no statistically significant association (p = 0.527), which suggests that the variables are independent.

As for the reasons given by the teachers for their position, those who agreed with option A—‘Lithium exploration will be of strategic importance for Portugal and Europe’ (n = 55) (Table 5) mentioned as their main reasons the fact that this activity would enable: an increase in the consumption of renewable energies, a better economic performance for Portugal, a reduction in the use of fossil fuels and the valorisation of forgotten areas of Portugal. Here are two examples of answers from teachers (T) that fall into the category ‘Increasing the use of renewable energies’:

‘As mobility is going to be electric, it will be very important for Portugal to have lithium farms.’

(T39)

‘In order to invest in the energy transition, it will be necessary to explore responsibly and invest in the lithium chain, which can become an asset for a country like Portugal.’

(T98)

With regard to the category which states that lithium exploration improves Portugal’s economic performance, the following examples can be seen:

‘Because the country has natural resources that it should take advantage of to transform, diversify sources of income. We are still poor and very much focussed on tourism. In my opinion, there are natural resources that should be exploited, with due care and protection of the environment, but in coexistence.’

(T196)

‘Lithium could strategically be a real asset that, if properly exploited, will bring our country greater notoriety and, perhaps, be a final product that will add value to our GDP.’

(T200)

The other reasons identified centre on the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels and the positive aspects, such as tourism and new jobs, that lithium mining can bring to the inland areas of the country, which teachers generally consider to be more neglected.

Of the respondents who agreed with option B—‘Lithium mining will have a negative impact on the quality of the environment’, indicated that the main reason was damage to the environment. Some did not specify the damage and others did.

Focusing on the group of teachers who specified the damage to the environment resulting from lithium mining, more than half mentioned the negative impact of lithium mining on the ecosystem, affecting all its components. The rest were divided between the negative impact on the biotic component and the negative impact on the abiotic component. Here are two examples of answers that fit in with the reasons given by the teachers, particularly with regard to the negative impact on the ecosystem:

‘To the extent that the destruction of ecosystems and natural values occurs, either through the direct destruction of habitats or through the procedure/processes of extracting, treating and transporting the ore.’

(T83)

‘The exploitation of lithium will have a negative and irrecoverable impact on the quality of the environment, mainly due to the […] destruction of the ecosystems involved.’

(T156)

With regard to the category ‘Negative impact on the biotic component’, the following examples of justifications are given:

‘The adoption of the lithium mining strategy makes it impossible to rebuild the forests in the areas covered.’

(T35)

‘The option indicated is the only one that really matters if we want to preserve the environment, perpetuating the existence of some living beings that live in the area of the aforementioned exploitation and the health of all living beings, including humans.’

(T239)

Finally, the category ‘Negative impact on the abiotic component’ is exemplified by the following answers:

‘The exploitation of lithium, as with most mining operations, presents enormous damage to the environment, both in terms of the landscape and the pollution of the waters of the surrounding aquifers, for example.’

(T67)

‘It will cause pollution (mainly of the soil and water), alter the landscape and land use, and squander geological resources.’

(T286)

As for the reasons given by the teachers who agreed with option C—‘Lithium mining will have negative impacts on the natural landscape and tourism’, they centred on the negative impact that such an activity will have on the natural landscape, on ecosystems and natural resources and on economic activities, namely tourism in the area where ex-mining would take place. These two answers fit in with the reasons given by the teachers, namely the impact on the natural landscape:

‘Alteration and de-characterisation of the morphology.’

(T44)

‘Open-cast quarries will appear.’

(T191)

With regard to the category ‘Negative impact on ecosystems and natural resources’, the following are examples of responses:

‘Because, in fact, it is a natural resource that will be of strategic importance to Portugal and Europe, but its exploitation will entail deforestation and all the dangers inherent in this, including water and air pollution, soil erosion and also in terms of tourism.’

(T133)

‘As well as air, noise, chemical, water and soil pollution, there is also aesthetic pollution.’

(T249)

The category relating to the impact on economic activities is exemplified as follows:

‘Lithium mining has negative consequences in terms of the quality of the environment, including visual aspects that diminish tourist interest.’

(T70)

‘Because I don’t think lithium mining will have major negative impacts on the quality of the environment, but the natural landscape will be completely destroyed, affecting tourism.’

(T280)

Some teachers also said they felt the need for more information in order to form an opinion about lithium mining in Portugal. They said that it was necessary to use experts to carry out the mining decision and the mining itself, in order to minimise the negative impacts. They therefore seem to suggest that they don’t have enough training or information to take a position.

4. Discussion

Biology and Geology teachers attributed more relevance, in terms of negative impact on the environment, to deforestation, global warming, pollution, over-exploitation of natural resources, and soil degradation. These results are in line with the results found in some studies, where science teachers and prospective science teachers also consider environmental problems such as deforestation (Kasanda et al., 2014; Sadik & Sadik, 2014), global warming (Kasanda et al., 2014; Meilinda et al., 2017; Ozata Yucel & Ozkan, 2016; Yli-Panula et al., 2023; Yurttas & Sülün, 2010), various types of pollution (Begum, 2012; Berber, 2021; Bertiz & Kiras, 2022; Campbell et al., 2010; Meilinda et al., 2017; Ozata Yucel & Ozkan, 2016) and the over-exploitation of natural resources (Berber, 2021; Campbell et al., 2010; Sadik & Sadik, 2014) as the most worrying at our time. With lower relevance comparing to the previews ones but also considered relevant are destruction of ozone layer, intensive agricultural production, overpopulation and acid rain. The environmental problem of destruction of the ozone layer also appears in the studies by Berber (2021), Kasanda et al. (2014), Meilinda et al. (2017) and Yurttas and Sülün (2010), as relevant for science teachers and prospective science teachers. However, in the study by Sadik and Sadik (2014), acid rain is an environmental problem to which no importance was attached, and although in the results obtained in this study it was perceived as very relevant by teachers, it was also the environmental problem to which teachers attached the least importance. On the other hand, in the studies by Natalia et al. (2023) and Yli-Panula et al. (2023), the participants considered overpopulation to be one of the main environmental problems to be taken into consideration, which contradicts the results obtained here, since this was one of the problems to which the least relevance was attributed, compared to the others mentioned above.

It was also found out that the degree of importance attributed to acid rain and to intensive agricultural production is negatively correlated with professional qualifications, which could mean that the lower the teachers’ professional qualifications, the greater the importance they attach to acid rain and intensive agricultural production in terms of their negative impact on the environment, and vice versa. Other studies (Karakaya & Yilmaz, 2017; Sison, 2018) can be related with this, showing a relationship between the level of academic qualifications and the way teachers view environmental issues; more specifically, they report that the level of academic qualifications has an influence on teachers’ awareness of environmental ethics, in the relationship of higher qualifications—greater awareness, and vice versa. Also, in the study by Surmeli and Saka (2013), the level of academic qualifications influences greater or lesser environmental commitment, in the relationship higher education—greater commitment.

Regarding the dilemmatic question, it can be concluded that most of the participating teachers was not comfortable with lithium mining in Portugal, choosing the option that was more centred on the environment, with a view to preserving nature and its ecosystems, and showing concerns on negative impact of lithium mining on the ecosystem, affecting all its components. This result is in line with the study conducted by Tuncay-Yüksel et al. (2023), which showed that the context of a dilemma significantly influences the participants’ responses, with ecocentric reasoning predominating in dilemmatic scenarios related to the preservation of nature, while anthropocentric reasoning was predominant in scenarios involving human well-being (Tuncay-Yüksel et al., 2023). On the other hand, in the study by Ribeiro et al. (2021), contrary to the opinion of the teachers who answered the questionnaire, the majority of respondents believe that the exploitation of this geological resource is essential to sustain society’s current standards of living. However, they also believe that exploitation should be reduced, opting for new lifestyle behaviours—for example, reducing, reusing and recycling products containing minerals (Ribeiro et al., 2021). The study (Ribeiro et al., 2021) also shows a lack of knowledge on the part of those surveyed about the exploration and exploitation of geological resources in Boticas, possibly due to the advanced age of the population and their low level of education. In the results obtained from the questionnaire in relation to this issue, there were relatively high number of teachers who didn’t justify it, which, together with the group of teachers who mentioned needing more information on the subject in order to take a position, could mean, similar to the results obtained in the study by Ribeiro et al. (2021), a lack of knowledge on the part of some of the teachers who took part in this research.

In short, by analysing the teachers’ responses and their justifications to the dilemma presented, it was possible to see the conflict and difficulty in making a choice/decision. Although their position more against this activity, frequently the teachers were divided between the options, mentioning the advantages and disadvantages they identified in the various options, which shows the importance of working with ethical dilemmas when teaching environmental issues (and beyond) so that they are able to analyse the problem in more detail to make the best decision in the circumstances presented.

5. Conclusions

In order to ascertain Biology and Geology teachers‘ perspectives on environmental problems and regarding an environmental dilemma, the following aspects were included in the ‘Teachers perspectives on environmental problems’ dimension: relevance attributed to environmental problems; and positioning in an environmental ethics dilemma.

It was found that teachers generally attributed great importance to most of the environmental problems presented, namely: deforestation, over-exploitation of natural resources, global warming, pollution, soil degradation, destruction of the ozone layer and acid rain (Begum, 2012; Berber, 2021; Bertiz & Kiras, 2022; Campbell et al., 2010; Kasanda et al., 2014; Sadik & Sadik, 2014; Yurttas & Sülün, 2010) that address teachers’ perceptions of environmental problems.

It was also verified that, with regard to environmental ethics dilemma of lithium mining in Portugal, the majority of teachers believe that it will have negative impacts on the quality of the environment, mainly due to the negative impact on the entire ecosystem (Tuncay-Yüksel et al., 2023), with reasoning in favour of the environment predominating in dilemmatic scenarios involving environmental issues. However, many teachers struggled with a decision-taking. This seems to suggest that ethical dilemmas are not widely explored by teachers, which probably has an influence on the way they approach these issues in class.

This research has implications for science education, particularly in terms of the training of these subjects, as it seems necessary to provide training (initial and ongoing) for Biology and Geology teachers so that they can deal with environmental ethics dilemmas in the classroom (e.g., through Role Playing or ABRP situations). Given the relevance of this subject to the training of environmentally aware citizens, we need to consider the implications for initial and in-service teacher training, as well as the training of teacher trainers. It may also have implications for those responsible for curriculum policy, the scientific community and the school community, and society, since the results obtained provide relevant information on the teaching of subjects related to environmental problems and environmental ethics dilemmas in science education, namely on teachers’ perspectives, training needs and opinions on the subject.

For future research, it is suggested that: the syllabuses of initial training for Biology and Geology teachers be analysed to assess the sufficiency or otherwise of their approach to issues related to environmental problems and environmental ethics dilemmas, with reference to what they will teach about them at school; an investment in conceptual and methodological training for future teachers and in-service teachers and that this training be evaluated, particularly in terms of its effect on teaching practices; other studies be carried out with science teachers from different science subject areas (e.g., Physical Chemistry), in order to deepen knowledge of the issues at stake; similar information be collected from students, if possible at different school levels, in order to obtain data on their perceptions, training needs and opinions regarding the approach to these issues, which should make it possible to improve future training and didactic interventions in this area and adjusted to each level of education; a study be carried out to investigate this aspect in order to assess the need to include and/or deepen these topics in textbooks, since they are used frequently by teachers.