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ASSESSING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS (DIS) LIKING OF SOME ANIMAL SPECIES

The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes of students, in particular primary school and biology pre-service teachers, towards specific animals in order to determine principal reasons for (dis) liking them. The sample consisted of 309 university students. Two factors were extracted termed “pleasant animals” and “unpleasant animals”. “Unpleasant animals” were characterised by certain commonly perceived features such as being dirty, dangerous, distinctive and fear evoking while “pleasant animals” were typically beautiful, clean, pleasant to touch, intelligent and responsive. Students with more positive attitudes toward the Biology subject also expressed more positive attitudes toward animals, especially toward “unpleasant” animals. And students with more frequent exposure to natural environments had more positive attitudes to “pleasant animals”.
Key words: animals, attitudes, biology education, experiences, pre-service, primary school education, teacher.