Pavol Prokop|Andrea Tolarovi?ová|A. M. Camerik|Viera Peterková
High School Students’ Attitudes Towards Spiders: A cross?cultural comparison
Institute of Zoology|University of Trnava|Agricultural Research Council of South Africa|University of Trnava
spiders traditionally considered among least popular animalscurrent evidence suggests negative attitude towards spiders could influenced cultural evolutionary pressuressome researchers suggest science education activities could positively influence students perceptions spiderstheir evidence however ambivalentusing fivepoint score likerttype questionnaire items developed similar way four kellers categories attitude scientistic negativistic naturalistic ecologistic towards invertebrates compared level knowledge attitudes towards spiders high school students two countries slovakia n 354 south africa n 382the students represented different cultures followed dissimilar science education curriculaonly among slovakian students statistically significant low correlation knowledge attitude r 30the slovakian students less fear spidersthe south african students scored higher categories scientistic naturalistic ecologistic attitudescomparison attitude towards spiders indigenous africans coeducational catholic schools revealed south african students greater fear spiders slovakian students supporting biological preparedness hypothesisthis hypothesis predicts greater fear spiders south africa europe since several south african spiders possess venoms dangerous humansthe results study discussed science education cultural evolutionary perspectives