e-Pedagogium 2006, 6(3):73-85

The influence of breeding animals on children's abilities to classify vertebrates and invertebrates

Pavol Prokop^1,2, Matej Prokop¹

¹ Katedra biológie PdF TU, Priemyselná 4, PO Box 9, 918 43 Trnava, Slovensko, e-mail: pavol.prokop@savba.sk

² Ústav zoológie SAV, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovensko

The classification of animals is the basis of biology at all types of schools. As previous research indicates, children however have fallacious ideas about the internal structure of organisms and their taxonomic classification. Only a limited number of studies have focused on the question of whether experience with breeding animals influences the level of children's knowledge about the animals' internal structure. The present study reports findings that children mostly keep vertebrates as pets and that this experience positively affects their knowledge about the animals' internal structure. Children could not however apply this knowledge to the invertebrates and most children aged 6-10 believe that a crayfish and a stag beetle have an inner skeleton. Such misconceptions were witnessed even in older students although with a decreasing frequency.

Keywords: Misconceptions, keeping pets, anatomy

Published: June 1, 2006  Show citation