The EntoEdu entomology literacy survey: Updates on an international entomology education project

Entomology knowledge and attitudes towards insects varies across individuals in any culture, but some groups may have a particular affinity (or aversion) to insects. This study builds upon the EntoEdu survey, an 81-question entomology knowledge and attitude assessment, designed to be administered to first-year university students, to compare “ento-literacy” across countries and fields of study. We assessed two components of entomology literacy: 1) attitude was assessed based on four sub-categories: self-efficacy, affect, professional outlook, and hobby activity and 2) knowledge was tested in four areas: insect identification, insect ecology, entomology concepts, and techniques associated with study of insects. Based on responses from more than 1000 survey participants in the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, and the USA, we demonstrate that the survey has high reliability, credibility, comparability, and consistency. Overall, student attitude scores are positively correlated with knowledge levels; both variables differ in association with students’ field of study. The highest knowledge scores across countries were from respondents in biology-related fields. Significant differences between countries suggest that entomology education, whether through formal (i.e. school curriculum) or informal (i.e. cultural) exposure, differs between these nations, with the highest knowledge in the Czech Republic. This survey can be used as a starting point to assess entomology knowledge and attitude in incoming university students across populations and nationalities. Current understanding of students’ entomology knowledge is essential to developing effective entomology education programs, and these results suggest this survey can be especially useful for tailoring program and course content to specific student populations.