American elementary education pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards biotechnology processes

This study examined elementary education pre-service teachers‟ attitudes towards biotechnology
processes. A sample comprised 88 elementary education pre-service teachers at a
mid-sized university in the Midwest of the USA. Sixty and 28 of these pre-service teachers
were enrolled in Introductory Science Methods course and Advance Science Methods
Course, respectively. Data were collected using a questionnaire which had 15 statements on
a 3 Likert-scale and required students to indicate whether each statement is acceptable or
unacceptable. The results indicated that elementary education pre-service teachers from
both courses generally held a wide range of attitudes towards biotechnology. Notably, majority
of the pre-service teachers approved the genetic modification of microorganisms and
plants, but disapproved the processes that involved the insertion or removal of genes in humans
and animals. Implications for science teacher education, curriculum as well as recommendations
for further research are discussed.