Collaborative care for animals in class: – effects on students’ relatedness and their flow experience in biology lessons

• Alexander Eckes ^[2] ; Nadine Großmann ^[1] ; Annette Textor ^[1] ; Matthias Wilde ^[1]
  1. [1] Bielefeld University

     Bielefeld University

     Kreisfreie Stadt Bielefeld, Alemania

     
  2. [2] Osnabrück University
• Localización: Biology education research: contemporary topics and directions / Blanca Puig Mauriz (dir.), Paloma Blanco Anaya (dir.), María José Gil Quílez (dir.), Marcus Grace (dir.), 2020, ISBN 978-84-16723-97-3, págs. 111-124
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto Completo Libro (pdf)
• Resumen

  • The need for relatedness, one of the basic psychological needs anchored in selfdetermination theory, can be satisfied by meaningful interactions and positive emotions. Since working with animals can evoke positive emotions, collaborative care for an animal together with the teacher might positively influence students’ perceptions of relatedness towards their teacher. Students’ flow experience as a positive quality of motivation may also be fostered. This study investigated the effect of collaborative animal care in biology lessons on students’ feelings of relatedness towards their student teacher as well as students’ flow experience. 613 fifth and sixth graders (Mage=10.68±0.67 years) participated. Classes were randomly assigned to one experimental (‘care’) and two control groups (‘mice’ and ‘laptop’). The groups differed with regard to the contact time with the animals (Micromys minutus). We found that students in the ‘care’ group perceived the highest relatedness towards their student teacher. Regarding students’ flow experience, analysis showed significant effects of the treatment. The ‘mice’ and ‘care’ group had a significantly higher perception of flow than the ‘laptop’ group. Working with mice in biology lessons had a positive impact on students’ relatedness as well as their flow experience.