Bad wolf kills lovable rabbits: childrens attitudes toward predator and prey
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Electronic Journal of Science Education |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.kubiatko.eu/clanky_pdf/bad_wolf_kills_lovable_rabbits_chidrens_attitudes_toward_predator_and_prey.pdf |
| Field | Pedagogy and education |
| Keywords | attitudes; animals; predator; prey; ecology |
| Description | This cross-age study explores childrens attitude toward a model predator (wolf) and prey (rabbit). We administered a Likert-type attitude questionnaire with 30 items (15 per predator and 15 per prey) to a total of 462 children aged 10-15 year in Slovakia. The mean score from three dimensions derived by a factor analysis (scientific, ecologistic and myths about parental care) was then subjected for pair wise comparisons. We found that younger children aged 10-11 year showed significantly more positive attitude toward a rabbit (prey) relative to wolf (predator). However, as childrens age increased, the difference in means score disappear and positive attitudes toward predator and prey generally decrease. We hypothesize that these patterns could reflect either greater childrens ecological thinking or, more simply, decreasing interest toward animals in older children. The difference in attitudes toward predator and prey suggest that childrens affective domain should not be neglected in future environmental programs, because attitudes influence pro-environmental behavior of future citizens. |
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