The influence of direct experience on students’ attitudes to, and knowledge about amphibians

Published source details Tomažič I. (2008) The influence of direct experience on students’ attitudes to, and knowledge about amphibians. Acta Biologica Slovenica, 51, 39–49.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Provide education programmes about amphibians Action Link

Provide education programmes about amphibians

A replicated study in 2004–2005 of amphibian education in schools in Ljubljana, Slovenia (Tomažič 2008) found that students who were taught using live animals and had previous direct experience of amphibians had the greatest knowledge and knowledge retention. Four months after the lesson, there were no significant differences between pupils taught with pictures and those with no previous experience taught with live animals. Knowledge decreased more rapidly over time in those taught with pictures. Using live animals significantly improved students’ attitudes to species, with or without previous experience. Teaching with pictures significantly improved attitudes only for those that had no previous direct experience of amphibians. Twenty-one classes of 11–12 year-olds from 10 schools were given a 45-minute lesson about amphibians by the same teacher. For 127 pupils, pictures were used. The other 265 pupils handled seven live species of amphibians. Attitude towards and knowledge about amphibians was tested before and one week, two months and four months after the lesson.