ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
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Transcript ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION:
A Look at its Purpose,
Methods, and Effectiveness
Erin Henegar
ENS Minor Project
May 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
GOAL – produce active environmentally-oriented
citizen
Formal EE
Natural and Social Sciences
specific curricula
Non-Formal EE
less structured
Brief History
1969
1970
1976
1977
1980
1983
1990
1995
2000
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EE defined
The EE Act
Belgrade Charter
Tbilisi Conference
“Goals for Curriculum Development”
Project WILD
National EE Act
EETAP
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
Outdoor Classroom
Piaget’s Theory
Kruse & Card – Zoo Study
NJSOC Study
Repeated Programming
Kruse & Card – Zoo Study
Assessing Effectiveness
Goals for EE Curriculum Development
Informal Assessment
Formal Assessment
Questioning
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
Study purpose
Seven lessons, outdoor component
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
Need for EE increasing
Ensures future efforts
Schools
Non-profit
Centers/camps
Desire to further EE