Abstract

Environmental education (EE) is a topic of international relevance and debate. Questions arise surrounding its importance and proper role in the curriculum of public schools. Some advocates for EE focus on development of stewardship values, while others recognize therapeutic effects of learning outdoors. A third perspective perceives integration into the curriculum as beneficial to learning in all content areas.

The focus of the presentation will be on the methods used to assess the effectiveness of these various programs, as well as learning outcomes. A systematic literature review was conducted to determine what constitutes “environmental education” and how its impact has been assessed.

Preliminary findings indicate that environmental education is delivered through (a) service learning projects; (b) schoolyard exploration and observation; (c) gardening projects; and (d) integrated classroom activities. The impact of environmental education has been evaluated through the following methods: (a) Standardized instruments for attitudes and dispositions (e.g. Science Attitude Survey); (b) Standardized instruments for content knowledge and critical thinking (e.g. Critical Thinking Test of Environmental Education); (c) Direct measurement of student behaviors (e.g. attendance, office referrals); and (d) Academic achievement (e.g. standardized tests, grade point average).

Implications of the findings will be discussed.