The Importance of Pets in Owercoming Future Preschool Teachers Fears of Animals in Order to Increase the Quality of Education/Važnost kućnih ljubimaca u svladavanju straha od životinja budućih odgojitelja s ciljem povećanja kvalitete obrazovanja

Abstract

Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between the expressed intensity of
fear of animals among future preschool teachers with owning pet animals in childhood
or in adulthood. The survey included 135 respondents, future preschool teachers, from
two countries, Serbia and Slovenia. A questionnaire and an assessment scale were
used as research instruments. According to the results, of all the animals in the offered
sample, the respondents were most afraid of the snake, crocodile, wolf and lion. There
was no statistically significant difference between the estimates of the respondents
from Serbia and Slovenia in terms of showing greater fear towards the mentioned
animal species. Owning a pet in childhood, or in adulthood, was not statistically
significantly related to the intensity of the overall fear, neither certain animal species
fear expressed. Apart from parents, preschool teachers represent an important model
who can influence the relationships and experience that children build and adopt
towards animals. That is why it is very important that future preschool teachers
show calmness, consistency and proper treatment of animals, even if they feel fear or
discomfort towards them.
Key words: attitude towards animals; behavioural patterns; model learning; natural
sciences; pedagogical interventions.

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Sažetak
Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je ispitati povezanost izraženoga intenziteta straha od
životinja kod budućih odgojitelja s posjedovanjem kućnih ljubimaca u djetinjstvu ili u
odrasloj dobi. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 135 ispitanika, budućih odgajatelja, iz dvije
zemlje, Srbije i Slovenije. Kao instrumenti istraživanja korišteni su upitnik i ljestvica
procjene. Prema rezultatima, od svih životinja u ponuđenom uzorku, ispitanici su
se najviše bojali zmije, krokodila, vuka i lava. Nije bilo statistički značajne razlike
između procjena ispitanika iz Srbije i Slovenije u pogledu pokazivanja većega straha
prema navedenim vrstama životinja. Posjedovanje kućnoga ljubimca u djetinjstvu,
kao ni u odrasloj dobi, nije statistički značajno povezano s intenzitetom ukupnoga,
ni pojedinačno izraženoga straha od životinja. Osim roditelja, odgojitelji su važan
model koji može utjecati na odnose i iskustva koja djeca grade i usvajaju prema
životinjama. Zato je vrlo važno da budući odgojitelji pokažu smirenost, dosljednost i
pravilan odnos prema životinjama, čak i ako prema njima osjećaju strah ili nelagodu.
Ključne riječi: obrasci ponašanja; pedagoške intervencije; prirodne znanosti; stav
prema životinjama; učenje po modelu.