SOME PROBLEMS OF ADHERING TO THE HUMANISTIC PRINCIPLES IN STUDYING PHYSIOLOGY
Journal Title: Problems of Education in the 21st Century - Year 2007, Vol 1, Issue 8
Abstract
Adhering to the humane principles in studying physiology is a rather complicated problem in modern biological and medical education. There is a wide-spread opinion that laboratory animals can be used in experiments for teaching purposes if there is a definite need and the experiment can not be replaced by virtual simulation. Republic of Belarus passed the Convention on biological diversity in 1992. On the basis of the 1992 Convention, Belarus has some duties which were formulated in the “National Strategy and Plan of Actions directed toward Preservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in Belarus” (1998). Interrelations of society and nature, society and living objects changed during last half of the century, and these changes must be taken into account when planning physiological experiments. Undoubtedly, a number of experiments which involve inflicting heavy damage to the health, and possibly a threat to the life of large laboratory animals, such as dogs and rabbits, in student’s presence, has become unacceptable. Therefore, stereotypes in the teacher’s perception must be broken, and each demonstration must be planned with respect to ethical concerns. For example, the established practice of teaching “Physiology of excitatory tissues” involves experiments (Galvani’s experiments) on frog nerve-muscle preparation separated from a live frog in student’s presence (“Physiology of the Central Nervous System” by Smirnov V., Yakovlev V., Moscow, 2005). We think the above experiments may be used in teaching specialists like biologists and physicians, but not, for example, future psychologists who are also enrolled in neurophysiology classes. It is our firm opinion that the laboratory works of psychology students must be organized in a different way, making use of virtual simulations, instead of experimenting with living animals. We suggest reorganizing the curriculum insofar as physiological experiments are concerned, with the aim of applying humane principles in animal treatment, maintaining biological diversity, and substituting certain types of experiments with virtual simulations more frequently.
Authors and Affiliations
Kanunnikova, N, Bashun, N
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP34458
- DOI -
- Views 386
- Downloads 0
FAMILY–TEACHER PARTNERSHIP IN FOSTERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN`S SOCIAL SKILLS USING THE BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAMME “FREE FROM BULLYING” IN ESTONIAN SCHOOLS
This research focused on the most important topics areas in parents` communication with the teachers and their assessments of the values prevailing in the classroom of second grade children using the programme “Free of...
RAMIFICATIONS OF QUANTUM PHYSICS FOR EDUCATION
The purpose of this study is to understand whether the developments in physics, particularly in quantum theory, can have an impact on education. Throughout the research a mixed method strategy was used. Previously, we...
PRAGMA-DIALECTICS ON THE BASIS OF STATE EXAMINATION COMPOSITIONS
The present research is based on a study analysing the argumentative skills of Estonian gymnasium students in state examination compositions. The aim of the study is to establish the choices made by students while writ...
The inTegraTion of hiV/aiDS STuDieS inTo The School curriculum of eDo STaTe, nigeria: an exploraTory inVeSTigaTion
HIV/AIDS has become a threat to every individual, family, community, nation and the entire humankind in the contemporary modern world. Scientists, researchers, traditional healers and medical practitioners have not suc...
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VIRTUAL LAB COMPARED TO PHYSICAL LAB IN THE MASTERY OF SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS FOR CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT
The aim of the research is to assess the effectiveness of Virtual Lab (experimental group) compared to Physical Lab (control group) in the level of Science Process Skill mastery of topic salt experiment. This research a...