Effects of a One-day Environmental Education Program on Sixth-Graders’ Environmental Literacy at a Nature Center in Eastern Taiwan

• Main Authors: Chung-Ting Pan, Shih-Jang Hsu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-06-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: environmental literacy; games; nature center; program evaluation; role play
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/12/5043

This study assessed the effects of a one-day environmental education program on sixth-graders’ environmental literacy at a nature center in eastern Taiwan. In this program, the use of role play and games for teaching about Formosan black bear and forest conservation was adopted. A nonequivalent control group design was used to collect data. The experimental group (N = 100) received the one-day environmental education program and the control group (N = 73) did not receive any environmental instruction. The ANCOVA results indicated that students’ environmental knowledge and locus of control were effectively improved by the end of the program. Besides, students in the experimental group showed a lower utilization preference than students in the control group. One month after the end of the program, the present study discovered retained effects on students’ environmental knowledge, environmental responsibility, locus of control, and environmental action. Moreover, students in the experimental group showed a higher preservation and a lower utilization preference than those in the control group in the follow-up test. Based on this study, implications for program development and instructional practice were presented.