Pre-Service Biology Teachers’ and Primary School Students’ Attitudes Toward and Knowledge about Snakes

Abstract

Snakes are controversial animals emblazoned by legends, but also endangered as a result of human prejudice and fear. The author investigated gender and age-related differences in attitudes to and knowledge of snakes comparing samples of school children and preservice teachers. It was found that although pre-service teachers had better knowledge of and more positive scientistic and moralistic attitudes toward snakes fear of snakes and willingness to pay for snake conservation was no statistically different between these two groups of participants. These results support the idea that better factual knowledge is not a sufficient precursor of attitudes toward harmful animals.