Evaluation in Residential Environmental Education: An Applied Literature Review of Intermediary Outcomes

Abstract

Residential environmental education aims to enhance proenvironmental attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors, as well as attain outcomes related to personal and interpersonal skills. Although these outcomes may not be evident for months or even years afterward, few program evaluations investigate how the experience and context affect intended outcomes during the process of environmental education (EE). This time lag contributes to what has been called the “black box” or the lack of understanding of what occurs during the program itself. This article presents an applied literature review that explores intermediary indicators and outcomes for residential EE and suggests novel approaches for evaluating their attainment.

Notes

Now NatureBridge at Golden Gate.

Although some of the intermediary outcomes described in Table 2 are relevant to residential EE (e.g., trust, critical thinking, interest), particularly because of the emphasis on interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, we did not find evidence of these being evaluated consistently within or across programs.