There are many different projects and activities that aim to reconnect people to 'nature' in one way or another (e.g. forest schools, family bushcraft days, ecotherapy sessions, residential camps for teenagers, arts-based forest projects, etc). I'm interested in how these programs are currently evaluated and what criteria are used to determine whether or not they are 'effective'. I would be grateful for any references, websites, or personal experiences if you are willing to share them.
I have some papers published about measuring efficience of enviromental education projects, take a look at then, at least the references could be useful
In my experience (and reading/writing), these projects are per definiotion difficult to evaluate as they are hardly 'measurable' or quantifiable, and the 'results' might take place in the minds and hearts of learners many years after the 'experience'. please see Dolores LaChapelle work on deep eoclogy and experiental education
please check out the work by Netta Weinstein, University of Essex/ UK. She is going to publish an article on "Nature exposure and well-being" soon. That might offer some good insights from psychological point of view. (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Netta_Weinstein)
Among other challenges of the environmental education programs, actions, projects, et.c, it is important to clarify how to incorporate local communities and society in the management and planning of natural resources region, know how to identify and use the economic value of these to get the support of all sectors of the population. One of the reasons why the peoples don valued properly natural resources, in the balance of ecosystems and the quality of life of its population, is the lack of education in line with the ecological, socio-economic, educational and research importance of dwelling place and the surrounding environment. Be aware of he benefits and the important role they play; and the limited participation of communities, their groups and individuals in decision-making and policy development related to the use and conservation of natural resources: environmentaly responsable and autonomous culture.
The evaluation most care in a integral way all those variables and planned in a participative way, look for goals to the small, mediun ang long time was completed. The assessment should include not only the changes of the people knowledge, attitudes, values, vehabiors and capacities at personal, familiar and social levels for adress any kind of problem related to natural resources and human beens and have an autonomous culture that promete improvement the equilibrium of such resources: air, soil, water, animals, plants, landscape and ecosistems and reflected in the wellbeing of the peoples.
I atach you an article (in spanish) that clarifies and discussed the relationship between environmental responsable and autonomous culture and Participatory Action Research for environmental education.
Dear Gemma, from my experience, the best way is to use a mix approach combining qualitave and quantitave approach. For quantitative approach, more instruments already exist, including 2-MEV for environmental values and attitudes, INS (Inclusion of nature with self scale), Environmental Identity Scale, and others. You can look here: http://www.conpsychmeasures.com and find their description. For examples of their using in evaluation practice, you can look at papers by Franz X. Bogner, Bruce Johnson, or me. You can also use a qualitative approach based on interviews, observation of pupils behavior, analysis of their essays, pictures, etc. For further information about evaluation strategies you can look at the web MEERA http://http://meera.snre.umich.edu/ .
Hi Gemma,
I love the questions you have posed on ResearchGate. My colleagues and I have recently published on the evaluation of a wilderness camp program for recent high school graduates in the US. We thought a lot about how to measure their nature knowledge and connection as well as the health benefits of the experience. You might find our schema and findings useful.
Article Addressing “Nature-Deficit Disorder”: A Mixed Methods Pilot ...
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