Polish teachers’ conceptions related to the environment

Abstract

We analyse conceptions of 322 Polish teachers, related to the environment. These differ mainly in the way some teachers think that animals such as snails, flies or frogs can or cannot feel happiness and, independently, in their pro- or anti-GMO approach. The six samples (primary school teachers, secondary school teachers of biology or of Polish, with pre-service and in-service teachers) show different conceptions, the biology teachers being more pro- GMO. Most of the Polish conceptions are for the preservation of the environment, but, when compared to 12 other countries (the same teachers’ samples), they are more anthropocentric than most of the observed conceptions in 12 other European countries (except for Lithuania and Finland).