Female Pre-service Teachers’ Concerns and Attitudes Toward Common Animals, especially Insects.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether university students in pre-service teacher programs of elementary schools have difficulty dealing with animals existing nearby. In this study, 23 female university students were asked to evaluate their beliefs and attitudes toward 17 types of animals easily found in backyards, including insects. The result suggested that the female students’ (1) sympathy towards insects, (2) hate against insects, and (3) ability to touch insects were improved after they experienced collection and observation of insects in the session.