| Abstract: | This paper reports the results of a survey of the opinions of UK school teachers on the use of living organisms in secondary school science. A total of 285 respondents completed a questionnaire circulated to all members of the Institute of Biology. It was found that the last few years have seen a variety of constraints on the use of living organisms in schools. These include the pressures of time and finance, other effects of the introduction of the National Curriculum (England and Wales), a shortage of skilled technicians and a shift in pupils' perceptions about the ethics and value of the use of animals in schools. Despite all these, most respondents strongly favoured the appropriate use of living materials as an integral part of genuine biology education. |
