Abstract:

Society often tends to view invertebrate animals, and among them, insects, negatively, commonly labelling them as "bugs". Insects represent one of the most successful groups of animals in terms of evolution and biological success throughout history, offering numerous benefits to society. Whether through participation in biological processes shared with other organisms or through the provision of a wide range of ecosystem services. Paradoxically, despite their importance, insects are rarely explored in-depth in educational centers. The external morphology of these organisms can sometimes generate a negative attitude among educators, which decreases the probability of including them in classroom activities, thus perpetuating their lack of recognition. A Cooperative Learning methodology is here proposed that aims to promote the study of invertebrate animals among students of compulsory secondary education through both laboratory and virtual practices that include self-assessment and peer evaluation. In addition, the study analyses the perception of these students about insects before and after the proposed dynamics. The results reflect an increase in knowledge of insects and a slight change in the students’ attitudes. However, it is suggested that more practical sessions are required, with greater manipulation of individuals, to achieve a more significant change of attitude. This change of attitude of students towards the organisms around us is essential to encourage awareness and citizen participation in the conservation of our environment.

Keywords:

Invertebrate, active learning, high school, science, attitude.