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TropicalRainforestsAdultsandchildrenarefrequentlyconfrontedwithstatementsaboutthealarmingrateoflossoftropicalrainforests.Forexample,onegraphicillustrationtowhichchildrenmightreadilyrelateistheestimatethatrainforestsarebeingdestroyedatarateequivalenttoonethousandfootballfieldseveryfortyminutes-aboutthedurationofanormalclassroomperiod.Inthefaceofthefrequentandoftenvividmediacoverage,itislikelythatchildrenwillhaveformedideasaboutrainforests-whatandwheretheyare,whytheyareimportant,whatendangersthem-independentofanyformaltuition.Itisalsopossiblethatsomeoftheseideaswillbemistaken.Manystudieshaveshownthatchildrenharbourmisconceptionsabout‘pure'curriculumscience.Thesemisconceptionsdonotremainisolatedbutbecomeincorporatedintoamultifaceted,butorganised,conceptualframework,makingitandthecomponentideas,someofwhichareerroneous，morerobustbutalsoaccessibletomodification.Theseideasmaybedevelopedbychildrenabsorbingideasthroughthepopularmedia.Sometimesthisinformationmaybeerroneous.Itseemsschoolsmaynotbeprovidinganopportunityforchildrentore-expresstheirideasandsohavethemtestedandrefinedbyteachersandtheirpeers.Despitetheextensivecoverageinthepopularmediaofthedestructionofrainforests,littleformalinformationisavailableaboutchildren’sideasinthisarea.Theaimofthepresentstudyistostarttoprovidesuchinformation,tohelpteachersdesigntheireducationalstrategiestobuilduponcorrectideasandtodisplacemisconceptionsandtoplanprogrammesinenvironmentalstudiesintheirschools.Thestudysurveyschildren’sscientificknowledgeandattitudestorainforests.Secondaryschoolchildrenwereaskedtocompleteaquestionnairecontainingfiveopen-formquestions.Themostfrequentresponsestothefirstquestionweredescriptionswhichareself-evidentfromthetermrainforest.Somechildrendescribedthemasdamp,wetorhot.Thesecondquestionconcernedthegeographicallocationofrainforests.Thecommonestresponseswerecontinentsorcountries：Africa(givenby43%ofchildren),SouthAmerica(30%),Brazil(25%).Somechildrenalsogavemoregenerallocations,suchasbeingneartheEquator.Responsestoquestionthreeconcernedtheimportanceofrainforests.Thedominantidea,raisedby64%ofthepupils,wasthatrainforestsprovideanimalswithhabitats.Fewerstudentsrespondedchatrainforestsprovideplanthabitats,andevenfewermentionedtheindigenouspopulationsofrainforests.Moregirls(70%)thanboys(60%)raiseddieideaofrainforestasanimalhabitats.Similarly,butatalowerlevel,moregirls(13%)thanboys(5%)saidthatrainforestsprovidedhumanhabitats.Theseobservationsaregenerallyconsistentwithourpreviousstudiesofpupils’viewsabouttheuseandconservationofrainforests,inwhichgirlswereshowntobemoresympathetictoanimalsandexpressedviewswhichseemtoplaceanintrinsicvalueonnon-humananimallife.Thefourthquestionconcernedthecausesofthedestructionofrainforests.Perhapsencouragingly,morethanhalfofthepupils(59%)identifiedchatitishumanactivitieswhicharedestroyingrainforests,somepersonalisingtheresponsibilitybytheuseoftermssuchasweare.About18%ofthepupilsreferredspecificallytologgingactivity.Onemisconception,expressedbysome10%ofthepupils,waschatacidrainisresponsibleforrainforestdestruction；Asimilarproportionsaidchatpollutionisdestroyingrainforests.Here,childrenareconfusingrainforestdestructionwithdamagetotheforestsofWesternEuropebythesefactors.Whiletwofifthsofthestudentsprovidedtheinformationthattherainforestsprovideoxygen,insomecasesthisresponsealsoembraced.Themisconceptionthatrainforestdestructionwouldreduceatmosphericoxygen,makingtheatmosphereincompatiblewithhumanlifeonEarth.Inanswertothefinalquestionabouttheimportanceofrainforestconservation,themajorityofchildrensimplysaidthatweneedrainforeststosurvive.Onlyafewofthepupils(6%)mentionedthatrainforestdestructionmaycontributetoglobalwarming.Thisissurprisingconsideringthehighlevelofmediacoverageonthisissue.Somechildrenexpressedtheideathattheconservationofrainforestsisnotimportant.Theresultsofthisstudysuggestthatcertainideaspredominateinthethinkingofchildrenaboutrainforests.Pupils’responsesindicatesomemisconceptionsinbasicscientificknowledgeofrainforests’ecosystemssuchastheirideasaboutrainforestsashabitatsforanimals,plantsandhumansandtherelationshipbetweenclimaticchangeanddestructionofrainforests.Pupilsdidnotvolunteerideasthatsuggestedthattheyappreciatedthecomplexityofcausesofrainforestdestruction.Inotherwords,theygavenoindicationofanappreciationofeithertherangeofwaysinwhichrainforestsareimportantorthecomplexsocial,economicandpoliticalfactorswhichdrivetheactivitieswhicharedestroyingtherainforests.Oneencouragementisthattheresultsofsimilarstudiesaboutotherenvironmentalissuessuggestthatolderchildrenseemtoacquiretheabilitytoappreciate,valueandevaluateconflictingviews.Environmentaleducationoffersanarenainwhichtheseskillscanbedeveloped,whichisessentialforthesechildrenasfuturedecision-makers.无论大人还是孩子都经常会遇到这样的报道，那就是热带雨林正在以惊人的速度消失。打个比方，孩子们很容易就能理解这样一个图例，即平均每四十分钟，也就是一节课的时间内，世界上就会有相当于一千个足球场大小的热带雨林进到破坏。面对媒体频繁且生动的报道，也许不需要任何正规的教育，孩子们就能够形成一系列有关热带雨林的观点：比如说雨林是什么，位置在哪里，为什么如此重要，又是什么在威胁它们等等。当然，这些观点也很有可能是错的。许多研究表明孩子们对于在学校里学到的科学知识心存误解。这些误解不是孤立存在的，而是组成了一个尽管多层面却十分有条理的概念体系，这一点使得该体系本身