Evaluating the impact of an informal elementary school field science education program

Abstract

Outdoor environmental education programs are gaining popularity as a powerful complement to classroom science curricula. This study sought to develop an evaluation protocol to meet the needs of both a non-profit environmental education program and its elementary school partner teachers, and to evaluate the program's effect on third grade students' knowledge of and attitudes towards science. The data showed that students' knowledge of science topics (especially geology, ornithology, and invertebrate biology) increased after completion of the program. Students' attitudes towards science were more positive post-program, especially students' perception of the difficulty of science.