Insects and Education: Using pre and post drawings to understand students' perceptions of insects.

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Title:	Insects and Education: Using pre and post drawings to understand students' perceptions of insects.
Authors:	Carlson, Elizabeth K.¹, Shufran, Andrine A.¹, Geest, Emily A.^1,2
Source:	Journal of STEM Education: Innovations & Research. Apr-Jun2025, Vol. 26 Issue 2, p46-51. 6p.
Subject Terms:	Entomology education, Classroom environment, *Elementary schools, Insects, Drawing, Entomology
Abstract:	Entomology is a foundational subject in the sciences and is often required in curriculum standards for K-12 education as insects allow students to learn about animals in and outside the classroom. Unfortunately, entomology education is taught only in a few grades during a student's academic career. Teachers need more ways to make entomology education more engaging and accessible in their classrooms. To better understand the role an interactive insect presentation has on student understanding of insects, 68 students in 5th grade (10 to 11 year-olds) from Will Rogers Elementary School, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA were split into two treatment groups. Treatment group one was given an insect presentation with limited interaction while treatment group two had a more in-depth interactive insect presentation. Both groups were asked to draw what they thought an insect looked like before and after the presentation, with three additional worksheet questions given to treatment group two. Drawings had higher accuracy in post-assessments for both groups, with a higher improvement found in treatment group two. Similar species of insects were drawn in post-assessments and the majority of answers were neutral or positive towards insects rather than negative. Insect education can increase a student's understanding of insects, especially when accompanied by an in-depth interactive presentation and drawing assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Entomology is a foundational subject in the sciences and is often required in curriculum standards for K-12 education as insects allow students to learn about animals in and outside the classroom. Unfortunately, entomology education is taught only in a few grades during a student's academic career. Teachers need more ways to make entomology education more engaging and accessible in their classrooms. To better understand the role an interactive insect presentation has on student understanding of insects, 68 students in 5th grade (10 to 11 year-olds) from Will Rogers Elementary School, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA were split into two treatment groups. Treatment group one was given an insect presentation with limited interaction while treatment group two had a more in-depth interactive insect presentation. Both groups were asked to draw what they thought an insect looked like before and after the presentation, with three additional worksheet questions given to treatment group two. Drawings had higher accuracy in post-assessments for both groups, with a higher improvement found in treatment group two. Similar species of insects were drawn in post-assessments and the majority of answers were neutral or positive towards insects rather than negative. Insect education can increase a student's understanding of insects, especially when accompanied by an in-depth interactive presentation and drawing assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	15575276