FACTORS AFFECTING KOREAN BIOLOGY TEACHERS’ INTENTIONS TO TEACH DISSECTION

Even as regulation policies prohibiting educational dissection have become more prevalent, some teachers continued to express an intent to perform it. This study attempted to empirically explore how biology teachers’ intentions to teach dissection are constructed, focusing on four factors: the perceived educational effectiveness of dissection, self-efficacy in teaching dissection, concerns about dissection, and perceived effectiveness of alternatives. Survey data from 124 Korean biology teachers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results revealed that the perceived educational effectiveness of dissection strongly predicted intentions to teach dissection, both directly and indirectly, through teachers’ self-efficacy. Conversely, concerns about dissection did not directly impact intentions, but indirectly diminished them by reducing self-efficacy and enhancing the perceived effectiveness of alternatives. These results suggest that biology teachers’ intentions to teach dissection are resilient as long as they perceive the educational effectiveness of dissection. Thus, it is crucial not only to emphasize concerns about dissection and the effectiveness of alternatives, but also to highlight the critical evaluation of the educational effectiveness of dissection in order to effectively mitigate teachers’ psychological resistance towards regulatory policies.