ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: A Look at its

Purpose, Methods, and Effectiveness

Erin HenegarENS Minor ProjectMay 1, 2005

Environmental Education

What is Environmental Education (EE)? Goals Formal and Non-Formal

Types of EE Programs History School Programs/Science in the Classroom Camps/Day Centers

Citizen Science

Effective Methods of EE Repeated Programming Hands On Experience/Experiential Learning Outdoor Classroom

Efforts to Assess Impact CATES

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont

Other Studies

What is Environmental Education?

Increases public awareness and knowledge

People gain understanding of Environment Human effects on environment Various sides of environmental issues

Inspires personal responsibility

It’s interdisciplinary Natural and Social Sciences

GOAL – produce active environmentally-oriented citizen

Formal EE specific curricula

Non-Formal EE less structured

Brief History

1969 – EE defined 1970 – The EE Act 1976 – Belgrade Charter 1977 – Tbilisi Conference 1980 – “Goals for Curriculum

Development” 1983 – Project WILD 1990 – National EE Act 1995 – EETAP 2000 – Guidelines for Env. Educators

Types of EE

School Programs - Science Education

Science + Social Environmental Emphasis

EE Centers and Camps – Programs – Schools and Summer Citizen science

Effective Methods

Hands-On Experience/Experiential Learning Piaget’s Theory Kruse & Card – Zoo Study

Outdoor Classroom NJSOC Study

Repeated Programming Kruse & Card – Zoo Study

Assessing Effectiveness

Goals for EE Curriculum Development Informal Assessment

Questioning Formal Assessment

Developing Instrument CATES

Elementary School Reflects knowledge of env. issues

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at

Tremont (GSMIT) www.gsmit.org

History

“Connecting people and nature...”

Youth Programs School Programs: August – May Summer Camps

Five different programs: Ages 9-12; 11-13; 13-17

Summer employment/Job-shadowing

Summer Teacher Naturalist June – August

2004

Develop and teach programs Discovery Camp – Ages 9-12

Nature Clubs “Long-horned, Tiger, and Dung Beetles…Oh My!” “Look, Listen, and Feel” “Stream Ecology”

Smoky Mtn. Naturalist Expeditions – Ages 11-13 “Arthropods” “Smokies Extravaganza!”

Nature Club Methods

Outdoor Classroom Hiking Exploring

Citizen Science Research tools

Using & understanding

Hands-On Learning Direct interaction

with nature

Writing for Newsletters

Write newsletter articles Walker Valley

Reflections Personal, Educational Reach community

ATBI Newsletter Report findings Advertise citizen science

Post-Camp Surveys Two informal surveys created Discovery Camp/Nat. Expeditions (9-13

yrs) Open questions Rating camp activities Parent section

Env. Awareness, comfort, changes WAC/Field Ecology (13-17 yrs)

Open questions Env. Awareness, what learned Return next year?

Studies on EE Effectiveness

Kruse and Card – Summer 2002 Accredited zoo in FL Youth ages 10-18 Four Programs

Purpose – education and conservation animal husbandry component

Study purpose Determine knowledge, attitude, behavior

Pretest, Posttest, delayed posttest Results-

Conservation knowledge, attitude increase

Behavior change – repeated programming Animal husbandry, conservation parallel

Smith-Sebasto & Semrau - Fall 2002 Sixth grade – 3 diff. schools NJOC Residential EE Program

Seven lessons, outdoor component Study purpose

Assess session effect on attitudes Pretest and posttest

CATES – affect, behavior, beliefs Results

No attitude effect Env. Responsible Behaviors (ERB) increased Limited by subjects and classes

Barraza & Cuaron – Winter 2002 Students aged 7-9 yrs Schools

3 England 5 Mexico Various env. policies

Study Purpose Analyze familiarity

10 Env. Concepts How school, system affect knowledge EE sources

2 Assessments Familiarity Decision

Results Correlation -

familiarity and understanding

Env. School & England = increased understanding

Low/moderate env. Understanding

Hands-on = understanding

Sources – school & TV

Conclusion

More research needed Ensures future efforts

Need for EE increasing Schools Non-profit Centers/camps

Desire to further EE