Lithuanian university students' knowledge of biotechnology and their attitudes to the taught subject

Abstract

The impact of genetic engineering on peoples' everyday life has become present reality. In order to establish the level of the available schoolchildren and university students' knowledge of biotechnology, various investigations have been conducted. However, the current situation in Lithuania remains unclear. A total of 287 students - pre-service teachers from Lithuanian universities participated in the survey focused on attitudes to and knowledge of biotechnology. Our results confirmed the conclusions reached in other countries: students' knowledge of biotechnology is very miserable and attitudes frequently contradict one another. Research results clearly show the necessity for the increase and development of teacher training in the field of biotechnology and point to the ability to obtain and apply knowledge at international level in work practice. Research confirmed the opinion that the history and principles of developing biotechnologies as well as a legal and institutional system of using biotechnologies in Lithuania and the European Union needed to be more exhaustively introduced to all students. Copyright © 2008 by EURASIA.