University students’ views about genetically modified organisms: A case study
Abstract
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is a popular socio-scientific issue today and views on this issue directly shape people’s behaviors. This study aims to investigate university students’ views about GMOs. A total of 200 university students from different faculties of a state university participated in the study. Face-to-face interviews were made with the participants. The sampling technique of convenience sampling, a purposeful sampling technique, and the maximum variation sampling technique were systematically used together to determine the participants of the study. Data were collected using an interview form developed by the researchers. The study was designed as a holistic single-case study. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and content analysis. NVivo12 software, a qualitative analysis software, was used to organize the data and the analysis results were presented in frequencies and percentages. Excerpts from the themes were also included. The results revealed that the university students’ sources of information regarding the issue are mainly news, social media, and lessons-school. It was nonetheless found that they do not rely on news and social media. They indicated many food products in which GMOs are used, plants in particular. However, they confused situations like growing the aforementioned products in periods different than seasonal periods and using hormones and additives with modifying genetics. The content analysis results showed that the university students’ views were collected under five different themes: Genetically Modified Products, Purposes of GMO Use, GMO’s differences from other products, advantages of GMOs, and damages of GMOs. At the end of the study, the university students’ views were discussed in light of the literature and the related suggestions were given.References
Aleksejeva I. (2014). Latvian consumers’ knowledge about genetically modified organisms. Management of Organizations: Systematic Research, 71:7–16.
Altun, A., Çelik, S., & Elçin, A. E. (2011). Genetik mühendisliği, biyoteknoloji ve moleküler biyolojiyle ilgili rehber materyallerin öğrenci başarısına etkisi. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 40(40), 21-32.
Balemen, N. (2009). Biyoloji öğretmen adaylarının nanobiyoteknoloji konularındaki bilgi seviyelerinin belirlenmesi ve nanobiyoteknoloji öğretim yöntem ve seviyelerinin araştırılması. Gazi Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü (Unpublished master's thesis).
Bawa, A. S., & Anilakumar, K. R. (2013). Genetically modified foods: safety, risks and public concerns—a Review. Journal of food science and technology, 50(6), 1035-1046.
Best, J. W., & Kahn, J. V. (2017). Eğitimde araştırma yöntemleri (Çev. M. Durmuşçelebi). Konya: Dizgi Ofset.
Brookes, G., Barfoot, P. (2014). Economic impact of GM crops: the global income and production effects, 1996–2012. GM Crops Food, 5(1): 65–75.
Bubela, T. M., & Caulfield, T. A. (2004). Do the print media “hype†genetic research? A comparison of newspaper stories and peer-reviewed research papers. The Canadian Medical Association Journal, 170, 1399–1407.
Choudhury, A. R., & Kumar, N., & Sandeep, K. (2017). Biotechnological potential of stem cells. International Journal of Stem cell Research & Therapy, 3(1), 212-219.
Christensen, L. B., Johnson, B., & Turner, L. A. (2015). Araştırma yöntemleri: Desen ve analiz. Anı: Ankara.
Çiçekçi, O. (2008). İlköğretim Okullarında Görevli Öğretmenlerin Transgenik (GDO)Konusundaki Bilgilerinin ve Görüşlerinin Belirlenmesi, Yüksek Lisans Tezi, Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
Çıngıl Barış, Ç., & Kırbaşlar, F. G. (2015). A study of certain biology and biotechnology concepts in secondary school and high school course books in terms of scientific competency. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 174, 420-426.
Črne-Hladnik, H., Peklaj, C., Košmelj, K. & Hladnik, A. (2009). Assessment of SloveneSecondary School Students’ Attitudes to Biotechnology in terms of Usefulness, Moral Acceptability and Risk Perception. Public Understanding of Science, 18(6), 747-758.
Dawson, V. (2007). An exploration of high school (12–17 year old) students' understandings of, and attitudes towards biotechnology processes. Research in Science Education, 37(1), 59-73.
Demirci, M., & Yüce, Z. (2018). Biyoteknoloji ve genetik mühendisliği konusunun öğretiminde 8. Sınıf öğrencileri için dersin deneysel planlanması. Sakarya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 35, 87-108.
Fári, M. G., & Kralovánszky, U. P. (2006). The founding father of biotechnology: Károly (Karl) Ereky. International Journal of Horticultural Science, 12(1), 9-12.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2004). The State of Food and Agriculture FAO: Rome, Italy.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2016, http://wwwfaoorg/docrep/005/y2772e/y2772e04htm.
Gahlawat, S. K., Duhan, J. S., Salar, R. K., Siwach, P., Kumar, S., & Kaur, P. (Eds.). (2018). Advances in Animal Biotechnology and its Applications. Springer.
Gilbert, N. (2013). A hard look at GM crops. Nature, 497 (7447), 24-26.
Gürkan, G., & Kahraman, S. (2018). Fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının biyoteknoloji ve genetik mühendisliği bilgi düzeyleri. Karaelmas Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 6(1).
Hallman, W. K., Cuite, C. L., Morin, X. K. (2013). Public perceptions of labeling genetically modified foods. Working Paper 2013–01. Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. http://humeco.rutgers.edu/documents_pdf/news/GMlabelingperceptions.pdf.
Hancock, R.D. & Algozzine, B. (2006). Doing case study research. New York: Teachers College Press.
Harzevili, F. D. (2018). Microbial biotechnology: An introduction. In: Microbial Biotechnology (pp. 16-23). CRC Press.
Herodotou, C., Kyza, E. A., Nicolaidou, I., Hadjichambis, A., Kafouris, D., & Terzian, F. (2012). The development and validation of the GMO AS, an instrument measuring secondary school students' attitudes towards genetically modified organisms. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 2(2), 131-147.
Hosseini, M. (2019). A Perspective on Bio processing for Biofuels, Bio-Based Chemicals, and Bioproducts. In: Advanced Bioprocessing for Alternative Fuels, Bio based Chemicals, and Bioproducts (pp. 1-11). Wood head Publishing.
James, C (2013). Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2013, ISAAA Brief No.46.
Jiménezâ€Salas, Z., Camposâ€Góngora, E., Gonzálezâ€MartÃnez, B. E., Tijerinaâ€Sáenz, A., Escamillaâ€Méndez, A. D., & RamÃrezâ€López, E. (2017). Basicâ€education Mexican teachers' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes about the consumption of genetically modified foods. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 45(5), 396-402.
Jurkiewicz A, Zagórski J, Bujak F, Lachowski S, & Florek-Luszczki M. (2014). Emotional attitudes of young people completing secondary schools towards genetic modification of organisms GMO) and genetically modified foods (GMF). Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 21:205–11.
López Montesinos, O. A., Pérez, E. F., Fuentes, E. E. S., Luna-Espinoza, I., & Cuevas, F. A. (2016). Perceptions and attitudes of the Mexican urban population towards genetically modified organisms. British Food Journal, 118(12), 2873-2892
Merriam, S. B. (1988). Case study research in education: A qualitative approach. San Francisco, CA, US: Jossey-Bass.
Miles, M, B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded Sourcebook. (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Mohapatra, A. K., Priyadarshini, D., & Biswas, A. (2010). Genetically modified food: Knowledge and attitude of teachers and students. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 19(5), 489-497.
Nicolia, A. Manzo, A. Veronesi, & F. Rosellini, D. (2014). An overview of thelast 10 years of genetically engineered crop safety research, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 34 (1) 77–88.
Öcal, E. (2012). İlköğretim fen bilgisi öğretmenlerinin biyoteknoloji (genetik mühendisliği) farkındalık düzeyleri, İnönü Üniversitesi (Unpublished master's thesis).
Öztürk, N., & Erabdan H. (2019). The perception of science teachers on socio-scientific issues and teaching them. International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET), 6(4). 960-982.
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Nitel araştırma ve değerlendirme yöntemleri. M. Bütün, & S. B. Demir, (Ed.). Ankara: A Pegem Akademi.
Raju, P. (2016). World history of modern biotechnology and its applications. Biotechnology: an Indian journal, 12(11), 107.
Rzymski, P., & Królczyk, A. (2016). Attitudes toward genetically modified organisms in Poland: to GMO or not to GMO?. Food Security, 8(3), 689-697.
Sanchis, V. (2011). From microbial sprays to insect-resistant transgenic plants: history of the biopesticide Bacillus thuringiensis. A review, Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 31(1) 217–231.
Sıcaker, A., & Aydın, S. Ö. (2015). Ortaöğretim biyoteknoloji ve gen mühendisliği kavramlarının öğrenciler tarafından değerlendirilmesi. Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 34(2), 51-67.
Sinan, O. (2015). Öğrencilerin biyoteknoloji ile ilgili bilgi ve tutumların farklı değişkenlere göre incelenmesi. YYÜ Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. XII: I, 183-201.
Sörqvist, P., Marsh, J. E., Holmgren, M., Hulme, R., Haga, A., & Seager, P. B. (2016). Effects of labeling a product eco-friendly and genetically modified: A cross-cultural comparison for estimates of taste, willingness to pay and health consequences. Food Quality and Preference, 50, 65-70.
Steele, F., & Aubusson, P. (2004). The challenge in teaching biotechnology. Research in Science Education, 34, 365-387.
Tanır, S. (2005). Çukurova Üniversitesi Birinci Sınıf Fen Grubu Öğrencilerinin Biyoteknoloji ve Genetik Mühendisliği Konusundaki Bilgilerinin Değerlendirilmesi. Gazi Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü. (Unpublished master's thesis)
Thomson, J. A., Shepherd, D.N., & Mignouna, H. D. (2010). Developments in agricultural biotechnology in Sub-Saharan Africa. Agricutural Biological Forum, 13, 314–319.
Türker, T., Koçak, N., Aydın, I., İstanbullouğlu, H., Yıldıran, N., Türk, Y. Z., & Kılıç, S. (2013). Determination of knowledge, attitude, behavior about genetically modified organisms in nursing school students. City, 199, 57-5.
World Health Organization, (2016) http://wwwwhoint/foodsafety/areas work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/.
Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2013). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştirma yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin.
Yılmaz, F. (2014). http://tarim.kalkinma.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/ 2015/01/Bitkisel_Uretimde_Genetigi_Degistirilmis_Organizmalar_ve_Urunleri_ile_Biyoguvenlik.pdf
Yin, R. (1984). Case study research: design and methods. (3). California: Sage Publications.
Yüce, Z. & Yalçın, N. (2012). Fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının biyoteknoloji konusundaki bilgi düzeyleri. X. Ulusal Fen Bilimleri ve Matematik Eğitimi Kongresi.http://kongre.nigde.edu.tr/xufbmek/dosyalar/tam_metin/pdf/2261-16_05_2012 10_53_15. pdf
Zhang, C., Wohlhueter, R., & Zhang, H. (2016). Genetically modified foods: A critical review of their promise and problems. FoodScienceand Human Wellness, 5(3), 116-123.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. The Editors reserve the right to edit or otherwise alter all contributions, but authors will receive proofs for approval before publication.
Copyrights for articles published in International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.
