Kitto S L, Griffiths L G, Pesek J D
Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Newark 19717-1303, USA.
J Anim Sci. 2003 May;81(5):1348-53. doi: 10.2527/2003.8151348x.
Since 1989, an undergraduate course addressing issues concerning biotechnology in agriculture has been taught annually. To determine the extent to which students were engaged in classroom instruction and assimilated knowledge from the course, students were asked to complete an "Attitudes About Biotechnology" questionnaire. Students were queried about their knowledge of biotechnology, perceptions of risks associated with biotechnology, and ethics and attitudes toward the use of biotechnology in agriculture. Responses to the survey questions were evaluated both pre-and postcourse. Data were collected from 13 classes over a 10-yr period. Inspection of the precourse grade point average and the course grades for these students revealed no trends up or down over the period of this study. Similarly, inspection of the data revealed no effect from problem-based learning, student-facilitated group work, or technology on student attainment of knowledge, perception of risk, or ethical views. For each of the five knowledge questions, the average score increased as a result of taking the course. On two of the knowledge questions, the average score increase for females from pre- to postcourse was greater than for males. Based on our measurements using the postcourse questionnaire, the correlation between perceived and actual knowledge was not significantly different from zero. In two of the four risk questions, there was no change in average score as a result of the course; however, student perception of risk associated with genetic engineering of plants increased. Although average scores for student perception of risk due to the perceived impact of genetically engineered products on people or the environment decreased from pre- to postcourse assessment, the average score was higher (P < 0.01) for females than for males. Males were more accepting of genetic manipulation of cells in a laboratory than were females both pre- and postcourse. Although student knowledge of biotechnology was increased and the perceived risk due to biotechnology was altered, there was no evidence that students altered their ethical position on biotechnology as a result of this course.
自1989年以来，每年都会开设一门关于农业生物技术问题的本科课程。为了确定学生参与课堂教学并吸收课程知识的程度，要求学生完成一份“对生物技术的态度”问卷。询问学生有关生物技术的知识、对生物技术相关风险的看法以及对农业中使用生物技术的伦理和态度。在课程前后对调查问卷的回答进行评估。在10年期间从13个班级收集了数据。检查这些学生的课前平均绩点和课程成绩，发现在本研究期间没有上升或下降的趋势。同样，对数据的检查表明，基于问题的学习、学生主导的小组作业或技术对学生的知识掌握、风险认知或伦理观点没有影响。对于五个知识问题中的每一个，平均得分因修读该课程而有所提高。在其中两个知识问题上，女性从课前到课后的平均得分增幅大于男性。根据我们使用课后问卷的测量结果，感知知识与实际知识之间的相关性与零没有显著差异。在四个风险问题中的两个问题上，课程结束后平均得分没有变化；然而，学生对植物基因工程相关风险的认知有所增加。尽管从课前到课后评估，学生因转基因产品对人类或环境的感知影响而对风险的认知平均得分有所下降，但女性的平均得分高于男性（P < 0.01）。在课前和课后，男性比女性更接受实验室中的细胞基因操作。尽管学生对生物技术的知识有所增加，并且对生物技术的感知风险有所改变，但没有证据表明学生因这门课程而改变了他们对生物技术的伦理立场。
