Earthkeepers: The Relationship between Instructional Strategies on the Program Outcomes

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Published: Feb 21, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/18023061.636
Keywords:
Earth education, outdoor environmental education, instructional strategies, environmental values, ecological understanding

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Jan Činčera
Masaryk University, Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Environmental Studies
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0704-7402
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7818-4714

Abstract

The study focuses on the relationship between selected characteristics of the outdoor environmental (earth) education program Earthkeepers and its impacts on students' environmental values and knowledge. It is rooted in the authors' previous research that is being both applied and reflected here. For providing empirical evidence, it uses data collected by the environmental center Lipka that implemented the program in the Czech Republic in 2020-2021 (N=80). The program successfully influenced students' environmental values and understanding based on the analyses. Students described the programs' instructional strategies as highly encouraging, experiential, empowering, and straightforward. At the same time, student descriptions of the program correlated with the environmental values they held before the program; students who viewed the program more positively also tended to be more positively influenced by the program. Implications for the practice of outdoor environmental education are also discussed.

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How to Cite
Činčera, J., & Johnson, B. (2022). Earthkeepers: The Relationship between Instructional Strategies on the Program Outcomes. Envigogika, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.14712/18023061.636
Issue
Vol. 17 No. 1 (2022)
Section
Reviewed Papers
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The publication of the journal is carried out in accordance with Czech law, in particular the Press Act No. 46/2000 Coll., the Copyright Act No. 121/2000 Coll., and the laws of the European Union. In accordance with the relevant provisions of Act No. 121/2000 Coll., the Copyright Act, as amended, the rights to published texts are always held by their author. The journal has only the right to use the text in the sense of its distribution through its printed and electronic form, in accordance with the provisions of Article 12(4)(b) of the Copyright Act.

Author Biographies

Jan Činčera, Masaryk University, Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Environmental Studies

The author is an associate professor at Masaryk University of Brno (Faculty of social science, Department of environmental studies). He focuses on theory, methodics and evaluation of environmental education and education for sustainable development. He cooperates with environmental education centres as a programme evaluator and consultant.

Bruce Johnson, University of Arizona

Bruce Johnson is Professor of environmental learning and science education at the University of Arizona, where is also serves as Director of the Earth Education Research and Evaluation Team and Co-Director of the STEM Learning Center. He is also the International Program Coordinator of The Institute for Earth Education, an international non-profit educational organization.

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