The wolf is the largest representative of its canine family and one of the most intelligent animals. However, this species is still strongly persecuted. In this work I used a survey questionnaire to examine the views of female and male high school students in the programme Agricultural-Entrepreneurial Technician on wolves. I tried to determine the level of knowledge about the biology of wolves and the differences in knowledge and views on wolves based on gender, age, and environment from which they come. Our study includes students from two different high schools: School of Agriculture and Biotechnical Gymnasium Grm Novo mesto and Biotechnical Centre Naklo. In their profession, the students in the programme Agricultural-Entrepreneurial Technician will be directly involved in protecting the organisms, including large wild animals, and will consequently make decisions which will affect the population of such organisms.
We found that views on wolves differ among male and female students. Females agree with the statements to a greater extent. On the other hand, year of study and area of education showed no statistically significant influence. In terms of knowledge, both male and female students provided more accurate answers to lower-level questions compared to more complex ones. The responses were significantly different between male and female students for only two questions. Boys showed more knowledge in a question concerning the biology of wolves and girls provided more accurate answers in a question related to ecological role of wolves in our environment. It was also found that younger students have more knowledge of this topic. Area of education showed no statistically significant influence.
Knowledge about the wolf biology and its role in our environment is crucial for overcoming any prejudice and misconceptions that result from a media, fairytales etc. Wrong beliefs could lead to irresponsible behavior toward wolves and improper attitude towards nature.
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