Ecology and resource efficiency: reflections of MGSU students

Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, Moscow, Russia

¹ Corresponding author: lilia.metelkova@gmail.com

Abstract

The article examines the definitions of the concept “ecology” and its use in modern scientific thought and practical experience. The article examines the definitions of the concept “ecology” and its use in modern scientific thought and practical experience. The aim of the study is to investigate what meaning is put in this notion by the first-year students of MSCU who have not studied special environmental disciplines related to construction and architecture. During the study one control and two experimental groups were formed. The students were asked to answer questions about what the concepts of “ecology”, “ecological”, “ecological” mean. The control group answered without leading questions. The first experimental group was given prompts, while the second group was given a series of explanations to choose from. The results of the study show that the vast majority of students assigned the same meaning to all three concepts: state and safety of the environment and rational use of resources. Not a single student went beyond an understanding of the term “ecology” in connection with the environment, although the concepts “ecology” and “ecological systems” went beyond their original meaning and were used in many fields of science and practice. Conclusions. MSCU students have a high level of knowledge in the field of ecology in its biological sense. At the same time, there is a lack of awareness about the range of usage of the concept “ecology” and “ecological systems” in the modern world, which is explained by the rather narrow approach to environmental education at school.