e-Pedagogium 2011, 11(1):89-105 | DOI: 10.5507/epd.2011.008

Attitudes Toward and Knowledge of Earthquake in Primary School Pupils in Slovakia

Alžbeta Hornáčková, Radoslav Kvasničák, Silvia Bednáriková

RNDr. Alžbeta Hornáčková, PhD., PaedDr. Radoslav Kvasničák, PhD., Katedra biológie, Pedagogická fakulta Trnavskej Univerzity, Priemyselná 4, 918 43 Trnava

Mgr. Silvia Bednáriková, Základná škola, Šarfická 301, 900 82 Blatné

The objective of this study was to find out attitudes toward and the qualitative level of knowledge of earthquake and seismic activity in Slovakia in pupils of the 8th and 9th grades. We were interested in whether the attitudes and knowledge in pupils residing near the source area of Dobrá Voda differ from the knowledge and attitudes in pupils living outside the seismic source area. The research tool was an attitude questionnaire and knowledge test of high reliability (Crombach alpha α = 0.703). The followed dimensions of attitudes toward earthquake showed, in general, a higher score in the experimental group of pupils in comparison with the control group of pupils. The pupils living near the source area of Dobrá Voda showed more interest in the issue of earthquake and its solution, they were more aware of the need to help the victims of destroying earthquakes. Some pupils of the experimental group knew that in the past there were earthquakes in the area of Slovakia; in consequence of it they considered necessary to monitor the seismic activity in Slovakia. We found out that the qualitative level of knowledge is different in the pupils of the examined groups; the greatest differences were found in the dimension of seismic activity in Slovakia. Their attitudes and knowledge were significantly influenced by the locality of the pupils' school and their experience of earthquake.

Keywords: Earthquake, attitudes, knowledge, Dobrá Voda, pupils

Published: February 1, 2011  Show citation