Abstract:

Society often perceives invertebrates negatively, labeling them as "ugly," "annoying," or dangerous. Numerous studies have explored the negative perception of insects, highlighting factors such as their morphology, which influences human attitudes, fears, and danger perceptions. Despite their critical role in ecosystems and their unparalleled evolutionary and biological success, insects are underrepresented in educational curricula. Factors such as their appearance and diet contribute to the reluctance of teachers to include them in lessons, which, in turn, shapes students' attitudes toward these vital creatures. A service-based learning project (ApS) is proposed for the study of insects in which knowledge is transferred from the University responsible for this work (University of Valencia) to the 5th grade primary school students at the school for infant and primary education (CEIP Mare Nostrum), passing through the 1st grade of compulsory secondary education students from the secondary school (IES Serpis). In addition, a prior and final survey is carried out to assess whether there is a change in attitude on the part of the students. Our results show that there is a certain change in attitude towards insects, albeit not significant, so it is believed that a greater number of sessions would be necessary in which students could handle and deal with insects or invertebrates in general. It is increasingly clear that insects are essential beings for life as we know it due to their biological functions, which is why it is necessary to change the perspective of future generations on the organisms that surround us and thus, improve environmental education in society.

Keywords:

Biological function, insects, perception, service learning, society, terrarium.