Knowledge of owls of fourth and fifth graders of elementary school

While exploring everyday environment, children from their earliest days experience animals, observe and learn about them. One way to obtain information about children’s perception of animals is by using their drawings in combination with written responses or interviews. This study assesses how much Slovenian students in fourth and fifth grade (9–10 years old) know about owls by analysing their drawings and written responses. The study included 280 students. We compared students’ drawings and written responses and analyse how gender, visiting different grades, experiences with owls, owing pets affect gaining knowledge about owls. Through partly-structured interviews we collected students’ different sources of information that influence building their mental models of owls. From assessing students’ drawings and written responses, it can be concluded that the respondents had some knowledge of owls’ appearance, their behaviours, diet and habitats. Some students had misconceptions about owls, such as the idea that owls can turn their heads 360 degrees, or they confused the long ear-tufts with external parts of the ears, they mistakenly thought that the word ‘owl’ is female specimen of the species little owl (Athene noctua). The students’ written responses provided additional information on their ideas about owls; particularly about owls’ specific behaviours, habitats, diet, and some interesting facts. However, some information, such as depicting owls’ body parts and body proportions, was more clearly depicted with drawings. Students extract information about owls in school, through reading books about animals, watching documentary films, cartoons, they come up against in albums for collecting pictures of animals, or as a toy and in children’s’ songs, they learn about them in ZOO, from their peers, relatives and their own experiences. In our sample, there was shown that children’s’ own experiences statistically significant positive affect knowledge about owls. To construct and perform quality lesson it is important to be acquainted with students’ different sources of information