How much do biology teachers know about the biology of Nyale worms (Eunicidae, polychaeta)? Available to Purchase

The tradition of bau nyale, fishing epitokes of nyale worms (Eunicidae), is the biggest cultural festival in Lombok Island. The tradition has been carried out for hundreds of years and now attracts tens of thousands of people to collect nyale. The present study aimed to explore the level of knowledge of Biology teachers on the Biology of nyale worms, before and after they were provided with a learning module. Data were collected using an online pretest and posttest sent electronically to 45 high-school Biology teachers, at the District of Lombok Tengah. The number of teachers who willingly answered the two tests was 35 and 37, respectively. Both tests were anonymous and teachers’ names and schools may not be recognized. Between the two tests, teachers were provided with an electronic learning module on the Biology of nyale worms and two hours of discussion with a mentor. The results show that Biology teachers have a very low understanding of the Biology of nyale worms. During the study, their pre-test and post-test average (±SE) scores uplifted nearly three times, from 5.43 (±0.16) to 14.05 (±2.66). The very low scores on the pre-test were due to a lack of information sources on nyale worms’ biology. However, the low scores on the post-test were most likely due to low motivation to understand the subject, as the subject was not obligatory to be taught in school. Normalized-gain scores were very low (9.12%). The normalized-gain score of male teachers from city schools was the highest, which coincided with the highest average teaching experience of this group. There is no correlation, however, between normalized-gain scores with teaching experiences. The present study recommended a compelling obligation to science-and Biology-teachers for teaching the Biology of nyale worms at their schools.