The Influence of Selected Variables on Lower Secondary School Students’ Concepts About Diseases

Abstract

Children's concept of biological phenomena differs from scientific thought in many aspects. The revelation of wrong concepts contributes to better education, especially when that information is described in a specific field of science. Not only children, but also adults often use anthropomorphic and theological explanations to express their ideas, which confirm their lack of understanding of biological phenomena. A great deal of research has proved retaining of children's misconceptions in the fields of zoology and botany. How accurate, however, are their ideas about organisms of a microscopic size? The aim of the research was to find out the influence of selected factors (perceived vulnerability, grade, gender and type of group) on concepts about diseases among lower secondary school students. The research sample consisted of 400 students of lower secondary education from Slovakia. Data were collected through Likert type questionnaires. The correlation was found between perceived vulnerability to diseases, age and concepts about diseases. The statistically significant difference in the results between boys and girls was not confirmed. The higher impact should be aimed at their importance for humans and nature for a better understanding of this concept.