an A survey on the perceptions of undergraduate students in Biological Sciences EAD regarding the use of laboratory animals in scientific research

Abstract

Historically animals are used for many practices in favor of benefits for the human population and advances in the veterinary area, such as the search for a cure for diseases, development of vaccines and new drugs. Despite their use demonstrating clear importance for the advances of science, there are still controversies in society's opinions regarding the practices that involve them. This study originated from the need to identify the perceptions of undergraduate students in Biological Sciences EAD linked to the CEDERJ consortium regarding the legal and ethical aspects of the use of laboratory animals in scientific research in order to outline a pedagogical strategy to guide future teachers in their teaching practices. A questionnaire created in the Google Forms tool was applied. Through e-mail, using the CEDERJ Platform, and social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, the disclosure to the target audience of the research was carried out. Students were asked if they were in favor of using animals in research; if they had contact with bioethics issues during graduation and if they had knowledge about the regulatory legislation for the use of these biomodels. After analyzing the data obtained from 109 students, it was observed that most of the participants did not have a formed opinion about the use of biomodels in research. Regarding knowledge about “bioethics”, most students expressed knowledge, on the other hand, about the topic “legislation”, most showed no knowledge about it. In this way, the research can demonstrate the need for greater debate on the subject in the training processes of these students, so that their conceptions and perceptions are built in a critical and grounded way and that they can be reflected in their future teaching actions.   Keywords: Bioethics. Scientific divulgation. Teacher training. Didactic tools.