Numerical Taxonomy in School: Sustainability in Biodiversity Learning

Abstract

The younger generations of Indonesia are usually uninterested in studying biodiversity because the teaching process at schools tends to use the one-way lecture method, and the students tend to memorize. This paper discusses the implementation of numerical taxonomy into learning about biodiversity, which is likely more sustainable than existing teaching methods. Numerical taxonomy is a grouping system that consists of two approaches, phenetics and cladistics. The implementation of numerical taxonomy in biodiversity learning promoted students to be active, participative, and engaged in hands-on experience as required by sustainability education. Numerical taxonomy in biodiversity learning is characterized by student-centered learning, a lot of hands-on activities, exploring the 21st-century skill (4Cs), and imitating. In addition, it demonstrated quite good concept mastery of students and positive responses from the students. The results suggested that feeling fun and excited was a further simple meaning of sustainability itself. There is a strong connection between numerical taxonomy, 21st-century skills, and education for sustainable education.
 Keywords: numerical taxonomy, biodiversity, phenetics, cladistics