Dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students’ emotional experience
IntroductionDissecting animal organs is a method of biology teaching that offers a direct and authentic view into morphological structures and enables hands-on activity and multisensory experiences. However, the dissection process is often associated with certain (negative) emotions that might hinde...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1138273/full |
| _version_ | 1797821437711482880 |
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| author | Lisa-Maria Kaiser Sabrina Polte Tim Kirchhoff Tim Kirchhoff Nadine Großmann Matthias Wilde |
| author_facet | Lisa-Maria Kaiser Sabrina Polte Tim Kirchhoff Tim Kirchhoff Nadine Großmann Matthias Wilde |
| author_sort | Lisa-Maria Kaiser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionDissecting animal organs is a method of biology teaching that offers a direct and authentic view into morphological structures and enables hands-on activity and multisensory experiences. However, the dissection process is often associated with certain (negative) emotions that might hinder successful learning. One such emotion that is particularly common during dissection is disgust. Experiencing disgust can negatively affect emotional experiences. Consequently, alternatives for dissection in biology lessons are being sought.MethodsIn this study, the method of dissection is compared with two common methods of teaching the anatomy of the mammalian eye: watching a video and working with an anatomical model. The focus of the comparison is on the influence on the following emotional qualities of experience: perceived disgust, perceived interest, well-being and boredom. Two hundred and eighteen students (Mage = 14.19, SDage = 1.02 years, 52% female) from secondary schools in Germany participated in a two-hour lesson on the anatomy of the mammalian eye using one of the three aforementioned teaching methods.FindingsOur results show that perceived disgust was higher for the dissection group than in the ones that worked with a video or a model. We found that dissecting and watching a video led to a similar level of interest, well-being, and boredom. The anatomical model was perceived as less disgusting but more boring than the dissection. The detailed videos of a dissection seem to offer similar positive emotional experiences when compared to dissecting in class and may be an alternative approach when teachers have concerns about performing a real dissection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:52:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9234f27183374c7b8cb06b39ae2b40ae |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:52:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9234f27183374c7b8cb06b39ae2b40ae2023-05-24T06:10:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-05-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11382731138273Dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students’ emotional experienceLisa-Maria Kaiser0Sabrina Polte1Tim Kirchhoff2Tim Kirchhoff3Nadine Großmann4Matthias Wilde5Faculty of Biology, Biology Didactics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biology Didactics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biology Didactics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyBiProfessional, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyFaculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute for Biology Education, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyFaculty of Biology, Biology Didactics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyIntroductionDissecting animal organs is a method of biology teaching that offers a direct and authentic view into morphological structures and enables hands-on activity and multisensory experiences. However, the dissection process is often associated with certain (negative) emotions that might hinder successful learning. One such emotion that is particularly common during dissection is disgust. Experiencing disgust can negatively affect emotional experiences. Consequently, alternatives for dissection in biology lessons are being sought.MethodsIn this study, the method of dissection is compared with two common methods of teaching the anatomy of the mammalian eye: watching a video and working with an anatomical model. The focus of the comparison is on the influence on the following emotional qualities of experience: perceived disgust, perceived interest, well-being and boredom. Two hundred and eighteen students (Mage = 14.19, SDage = 1.02 years, 52% female) from secondary schools in Germany participated in a two-hour lesson on the anatomy of the mammalian eye using one of the three aforementioned teaching methods.FindingsOur results show that perceived disgust was higher for the dissection group than in the ones that worked with a video or a model. We found that dissecting and watching a video led to a similar level of interest, well-being, and boredom. The anatomical model was perceived as less disgusting but more boring than the dissection. The detailed videos of a dissection seem to offer similar positive emotional experiences when compared to dissecting in class and may be an alternative approach when teachers have concerns about performing a real dissection.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1138273/fullbiology educationdissectionsdisgustinterestboredomemotions |
| spellingShingle | Lisa-Maria Kaiser Sabrina Polte Tim Kirchhoff Tim Kirchhoff Nadine Großmann Matthias Wilde Dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students’ emotional experience Frontiers in Psychology biology education dissections disgust interest boredom emotions |
| title | Dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students’ emotional experience |
| title_full | Dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students’ emotional experience |
| title_fullStr | Dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students’ emotional experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students’ emotional experience |
| title_short | Dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students’ emotional experience |
| title_sort | dissection in biology education compared to alternative methods in terms of their influence on students emotional experience |
| topic | biology education dissections disgust interest boredom emotions |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1138273/full |
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