Perceived Disgust and Personal Experiences are Associated with Acceptance of Dissections in Schools

Abstract

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Can Virtual Dissection Replace Traditional Hands-on Dissection in School Biology Laboratory Work?

“…Although it is possible, that approach toward hands-on and virtual dissection will change during the time according to the results of Balcombe (2000) and Fančovičová and Prokop (2014). Balcombe (2000) has reported that the approach towards hands-on dissection slowly changed and the students prefer the use of the virtual and other dissection alternative, a finding not supported by the results of our study.…”

“…Several articles mentioned in the overview study (Havlíčková, & Bílek, 2015) describe significant differences in accepting of hands-on and virtual dissections between men and women, as well as students and teachers and secondary school teachers and the other teachers groups (Balcombe 2000;Fančovičová, Prokop, & Lešková, 2013;Fazal, Khan, & Yunus, 2012;Holstermann, Ainley, Grube, Roick, & Bögeholz, 2012). However, all examined differences (results not reported) between different groups were on insignificant and small levels.…”

“…Strauss and Kinzie (1994) report that the students prefer practices that they had the opportunity to test. Fančovičová and Prokop (2014) arrive at different conclusions. Their finding was that teaching anatomy using only electronical (virtual) support of dissection activities leads to lower levels of knowledge than using a combination of virtual (electronic) and hands-on dissection.…”

“…However, when accounting for multiple benefits of hands-on dissection for learners (NSTA, 2008) it can be recognized that hands-on dissection should be preferred method in medical education (Böckers, Jerg-Bretzke, Lamp, Brinkmann, Traue, & Böckers, 2010;Patel, & Moxham, 2008;Winkelmann, 2007) and general Biological education (Havlíčková, & Bílek, 2015;NSTA, 2008;Oakley, 2012). It is proposed that society opinions and associated students' attitudes to a substitute of hands-on dissection will slowly change (Balcombe, 2000;Fančovičová, & Prokop, 2014), resulting in reduction of frequency of hands-on dissection and replacement with various kind of dissection alternatives such as figurines, models, images, animations, virtual dissection, etc. However, it seems that such reduction, if happens, would not follow preferences of a majority of students in some countries.…”

“…Simultaneously, they described hands-on dissection of macroscopic invertebrates as very disgusting (Randler, Hummel, & Würst-Ackermann, 2013). Students are against the breeding and killing of animals in order for hands-on dissection to be performed, whereas women held higher negative attitudes (Fančovičová, & Prokop, 2014;Millett, & Lock, 1992). The practice of many teachers to overcome problems associated with hands-on dissection is that students are entitled to choose between hands-on and dissection alternatives without any disciplinary action or sanction (Balcombe, 2000).…”