Abstract
This paper synthesizes the shared experiences of students and mentor during a practical class on ecotoxicology and macrobenthos analysis conducted at the Department of Biology, Universiti Putra Malaysia. The session combined three linked components: collection of surface sediments from a polluted drainage, short behavioural assays with the catfish Clarias sp. under contrasting pH conditions, and microscopic identification of benthic organisms sorted from sieved sediments. Students encountered tolerant taxa such as oligochaetes, chironomid larvae, odonate nymphs, and freshwater snails, and related their presence to habitat quality and contaminant exposure. Reflections recorded immediately after the class documented excitement, surprise, and a growing ability to frame observations as evidence. Learners reported that touching the sediment, smelling the water, and watching fish opercular movements made abstract concepts concrete and memorable. The objective of this paper is to evaluate how a tightly integrated field-to-laboratory activity fosters conceptual understanding, scientific empathy, and confidence in interpreting ecological signals from disturbed urban habitats. We analyze student vignettes alongside photographic evidence to show how cooperative sampling, rapid identification, and simple bioassays create a coherent pathway from observation to inference. The findings suggest that experiential practice, when guided by clear prompts and on-the-spot mentoring, strengthens the link between environmental processes and their biological indicators, encourages collaborative reasoning, and motivates further inquiry. The paper offers a concise model that other mentors can adapt to help students connect ecotoxicological theory with lived phenomena and to cultivate the habits of careful seeing, patient interpretation, and ethical attention to organisms in degraded environments.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Chee Kong Yap, Erra Noorfazira Bandong, Nur Fatihah Ahmad Fauzi, Sridaran Mahesvaran, Vauquelin-Guérillion Tobias Simon, Tze Yik Austin Hew, Ammar Ramlee, Mohamad Izzuddin Mohd Hadir, Muzammil Mohd Latif, Muhd Aqil Syukran Baharuddin, Ezani Ishak Hashim, Helmy Rozario Ahmad Yusoff, Musefiu Adebisi Tiamiyu, Noraini Abu Bakar, Wan Mohd Syazwan (Author)