This study evaluates the impact of a 4 day out-of-school environmental educational assess the impacts of this program, 293 students completed pre and post drawings of their understanding of the plants, animals and processes of the longleaf pine ecosystem, as well as the Children's Environmental Perceptions Survey. Of these participants, 41 students were selected for post- attendance interviews to further understand the impact of the experience on the students as well as validate the interpretations of drawings. Analysis of drawings indicates that participation in the program had an impact on students; specifically with respect to awareness, knowledge and understanding of, and interest in, the longleaf pine ecosystem, while analysis of survey responses indicated no shifts in engagement or interest. As a result, there was no correlation between changes in pre/post drawings and changes in the pre/post survey responses. Possible reasons for the differing results are provided. Although no direct cause and effect relationship was identified, the results indicate of the longleaf pine ecosystem after attending the extended environmental education program, The data collected demonstrate that drawings, when accompanied by a suitable scoring rubric are an efficient and effective method to gauge student learning of an informal science experience such as the one in this research. In addition, the classification of the drawings into discrete mental model categories representing varying degrees of sophistication demonstrated that the program was successful in shifting students mental models from those that were classified as naïve to those that were more closely representative of conceptual models held by scientists. Remarkably, this shift was accomplished without being and explicit goal or component of the educational program. Given that other sources have identified that young people have limited knowledge or understanding about the environment, this research illuminates the continuing need for environmental education and the research that evaluates the impacts of such programs. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2013. / June 7, 2013. / drawings, environmental education, impact, informal, longleaf pine, mental
models / Includes bibliographical references. / Alejandro Gallard, Professor Directing Dissertation; Carlos Bolanos, University Representative; Lawrence Scharmann, Committee Member; Lisa Scherff, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_253331 |
| Contributors | Dentzau, Michael William (authoraut), Gallard, Alejandro (professor directing dissertation), Bolanos, Carlos (university representative), Scharmann, Lawrence (committee member), Scherff, Lisa (committee member), School of Teacher Education (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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