To Dissect
or not to dissect?
Shannon Shackles
Cons: Live Dissections
In Oakley's (2011) survey, Ontario science teachers were asked to identify their concerns with conducting live dissections in their classrooms. Many of the teachers identified as their students health and safety being their main concern with live dissections. These teachers were concerned that students could harm themselves but also about the chemical used to preserve the specimens (Oakley, 2011). Formaldehyde is the common chemical used to preserve organisms and is a known carcinogen (Montgomery, 2008). Teachers are also worried about animal-bourne diseases being transmitted to their students. Although this has never been in issue in North America, there have been cases in Hong Kong with the specimens transmitting rabies (Montgomery, 2008).
Data retrieved from Oakley 2011
Another concern teachers had with conducting live dissections was classroom management (Oakley, 2011). Teachers were concerned that students deliberately mutilate, abuse, or otherwise disrespect the animals bodies. Having students complete live dissectiosns takes a lot of classroom management on the teacher's part.
The other two concerns teachers had with conducting live dissections were the cost and ethics behind the dissection. It is very expensive to order preserved specimens and once they arrive, they can only be used once so they need to be overed every time a teacher wishes to do a live dissection. The other issue they had was the ethics behind the dissections. 10-12 million animals are killed every year for classroom dissections.
"While there was a time when the use of animals in the classroom went almost unchallenged, today's students are ready, willing, and able to stand up for animals and work with peta to use non-animal methods that are more human and effectve."
-peta
Research Contradicting Live Dissections
Retrieved from Montgomery, 2008
A study conducted by Montgomery in 2008 found that there was no significant difference in performane on written tests between students who conducted a live dissection and students who conducted a virtual dissection.
The results of this study can be seen in the table to the left.
Virtual Dissections
Retrieved from Montgomery, 2008
There has been a lot of research conducted on students learning while doing both live dissections and virutal dissections. There have been research findings that have identified a difference in learning between using the two methods, some in favour of live dissections and some in favour of virtual dissections. Below is a summary table retrieved from Montgomery identifying some of the research that concluded that dissection alternatives were either more effective in learning, or just as effective in learning as traditional, live dissections.
Pros: Live Dissections