The main aim of our research was to determine whether the teacher is
one of the factors influencing students’ perception of biology as a school
subject. The study also aimed to identify the influence of certain other
factors in this regard, specifically: students’ gender and place of residence,
the number of biology teachers who have taught the students, and the
teachers’ gender. The sample consisted of 261 lower secondary school students
(ISCED 2) in Slovakia, aged 14 and 15 years. A questionnaire with
Likert-type items was used as a research instrument. The findings confirm
the impact of the biology teacher on students’ perception of the subject.
After removing the influence of the teacher, the students’ gender and place
of residence did not have any significant influence on their perception of
the subject. Two additional significant variables were the number of biology
teachers who had taught the students and the teachers’ gender. The
research confirmed that the teacher’s personality is one of the significant
factors that can influence students’ perception of school subjects.
|
