Primary school students' basic knowledge, opinions and risk perceptions about microorganisms

Abstract

In the present study, a questionnaire was administered to the primary school students (n=836) from 17 different primary schools to determine their basic knowledge, opinions and risk perceptions concerning the microorganism. The survey results showed that, 53% (n=475) of the students defined microorganism as dirt, pollutant, and harmful. When they were asked to give some examples of microorganisms, 37.4% of the students were not able to give any examples. Most of the students think that the risks of microorganisms are more than their benefits, and they stated that they feel bad when they hear the word microbe or microorganism. In light of the findings of the study, some suggestions were made for the teaching microorganisms related issues in National Science and Technology curriculum. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.