Influence of the natural setting on environmental education outcomes |
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| Authors: | Ryan G Dale Marc J Stern Barry A Garst |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA;2. Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Clemson, SC, USA |
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| Abstract: | AbstractEnvironmental education (EE) typically occurs in natural settings, which research suggests may enhance learning outcomes. Although field trips are commonly used to teach EE, few studies have isolated the influence of different setting characteristics for enhancing participant outcomes during an EE field trip. According to the literature, certain attributes of the natural setting, including novelty, beauty, and naturalness, as well as how the setting is used such as through place-based education, immersion, and time spent inside vs. outside, are thought to positively impact people’s experiences with nature. In this study, we collected data from 334 EE field trip programs for 5-8th grade students to investigate the influence of these natural setting characteristics on positive learning outcomes. Results suggest that the naturalness and novelty of the setting, the use of place-based education, and spending more time outside vs. inside all positively correlated with more positive student outcomes. The implications of the results for environmental educators are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | Environmental Education nature-based learning instruction teaching nature experiences field trips |
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