“I am not a big man”: Evaluation of the issue investigation program

ABSTRACT

The article evaluates a Czech environmental education program focused on developing competence in issue investigation. In the evaluation, a simple quasi-experimental design with experimental (N = 200) and control groups was used. The results suggest that the program had a greater impact on girls than on boys, and that it increased their internal locus of control and awareness of local environmental issues. The program had no effect on students' self-efficacy in constructively dealing with conflicts or local environmental issues. The article discusses some potentially weak parts of the program theory, which include the dominating teacher-directed approach and the lack of opportunities for students to be actively involved in the solving of issues.

Acknowledgments

We very much appreciate the on-going interest of those at the TEREZA environmental educational center in allowing the evaluation and critical analysis of their educational programs and their willingness in opening new themes in the national debate about environmental education.