Using Live Animals for Teaching in Animal Sciences: Students' Attitudes To Their Learning Process and Animal Welfare Concern

Abstract

The opinions of students at the Faculty of Agriculture (Seville University, Spain) concerning the educational usefulness and the affectation of the rabbits welfare of a university farm for teaching Rabbit Farming were analyzed. Both prior to beginning the course as well as upon completion, the majority of students supported the use of the farm for conducting the practicals (97.9% before the course; 100.0% after) they preferred to learn on the university farm rather than visiting commercial farms (90.7% before; 95.3% after) and they believed the welfare of the rabbits was not harmed (63.8% before; 54.7% after), or if it was harmed that it was not reason enough to discontinue the use of the rabbits for the practicals (36.2% before; 40.4% after). The students' expectations prior to participating in the practicals and their opinions upon completion revealed that they though that with the university farm they learned 60% more than without its help. The majority of Agricultural Engineering students agreed that the establishment of a teaching farm in the university for the purpose of Rabbit Farming practicals significantly improved the teaching learning process and the majority of students perceived the welfare of the rabbits was not negatively affected.