BACK TO LIVING ANIMALS - AN EXTRACURRICULAR COURSE FOR 5TH-GRADE PUPILS

Eighty-six 10-year-old students participated in on extracurricular cou rse focusing on structure and function of animals; There were 45 femal es and 41 males. Four instructional strategies ware used: direct obser vation of animals; watching videotapes; participating in class discuss ion; building kits and games. Views and attitudes on various aspects o f the course were obtained from the pupils through a questionnaire, wh ich was administered just once after the completion of the course. For each question the pupils had to respond twice: once as they were feel ing at the end of the course and once as they felt before the course. The latter response required retrospection. In general the attitudes a nd views of pupils were very positive. Interesting interactions betwee n some aspects and gender were found. For example, females preferred d irect observations and building kits, whereas discussion was preferred by males. Just before starting the course, mates had more positive at titudes toward small animals than females. After the course, the attit udes of all were improved, and the attitudes of the females were now a s high as those of the males.