What Do 14 to 16‐year‐olds Know and Think about Biotechnology?

The knowledge and attitudes of GCSE students towards biotechnology and genetic engineering were investigated in a survey of 118 14 to 16‐year‐old students. One‐third of the sample did not know what biotechnology or genetic engineering was, and nearly half the sample could not give examples of either. Student attitudes were context‐dependent: there was broad approval of genetic engineering applied to microbes and plants but not of its application to animals. There were high levels of uncertainty of opinion where eating the products of genetic engineering was concerned. Teaching about these topics led to decreased uncertainty and enhanced approval of genetic engineering.