PLANT BLINDNESS MENUJU LITERASI MORFOLOGI TUMBUHAN: SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW TENTANG PEMBELAJARAN, IDENTIFIKASI TUMBUHAN, DAN LITERASI BOTANI

Abstract

Plant morphology is a fundamental component of biology education because it supports students’ ability to observe, describe, identify, classify, and understand plants as living organisms with ecological significance. However, plants often receive less attention in educational contexts compared with other biological organisms, contributing to plant blindness or plant awareness disparity. Addressing this issue requires the development of botanical literacy, including morphological literacy, which emphasizes the ability to recognize, describe, interpret, and use plant morphological characteristics in scientific contexts. This systematic literature review aims to synthesize research on instructional strategies for plant morphology learning and examine their contribution to botanical literacy, morphological literacy, plant awareness, and efforts to overcome plant blindness. Articles were retrieved from the Scopus database in May 2026 using TITLE-ABS-KEY terms related to plant morphology, plant identification, herbarium, plant blindness, plant awareness, botanical literacy, morphological literacy, learning, teaching, and educational participants. The initial search yielded 282 records. After applying inclusion criteria related to article type, English language, publication years 2016–2026, final publication stage, and Social Sciences subject area, 44 articles remained. Nineteen full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and two articles were excluded due to lack of relevance, resulting in 17 articles included in the final synthesis. The findings identified five major instructional clusters: outdoor observation and field-based learning; educational gardens, herbaria, and local biodiversity learning; digital applications and artificial intelligence for plant identification; virtual field trips and online learning resources; and inquiry-based learning integrated with local knowledge. The reviewed studies indicate that meaningful plant morphology learning involves direct interaction with plants, systematic observation of morphological characteristics, use of botanical terminology, and integration of scientific validation. Digital technologies provide valuable support for identification and engagement but should complement rather than replace direct morphological observation. This review concludes that strengthening morphological literacy is an important pathway for developing botanical literacy and increasing plant awareness. Future plant education should move beyond memorizing plant structures toward contextual scientific experiences that enable learners to understand plants as organisms with structural, functional, ecological, and cultural significance.