Using animals in secondary education— a pilot survey

Abstract

Twenty-eight teachers In charge of biological science at schools/colleges with students in the 11—18 years age range replied to a questionnaire enquiring about their use of animals. The respondents were drawn from a single education authority and provided information on species of animais used, nature of the use, animal care, and factors influencing their practice regarding animal material- Responses suggest that there is still considerable use of animals, living and dead, in school science contexts. Goth school and attitude factors contribute towards the diverse experiences of living things that are offered to pupils, In particular, over a third of the responding teachers held opinions that discouraged them from using animals in their teaching.

Keywords:

• Use of animals
• Dissection
• Teacher opinion