Focus wildlife park: Outdoor learning at workstations for primary school children

Abstract

A total of 268 primary school children (age 8.75 ± 0.65) spent one day at a wildlife park attending environmental education aiming at high cognitive achievement and motivation alongside maintained discipline. To accomplish this at an out-of-school learning setting, we compared our preferred ‘guided learning at workstations’ (G) combining the advantages of instructional and constructivist characteristics to a strong teacher-centered (T) and student-centered (S) approach also following workstations. We found higher knowledge values in the approaches with didactic leaders (T and G) while situational emotions did not differ between approaches. Results and implications are discussed in the context of environmental outdoor education.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all students, teachers and headmasters for participating in their study and making it possible. They are very thankful for the excellent cooperation between their workgroup and the wildlife park. They specially thank all the undergraduate students who helped with assisting and analyzing as well as to their colleagues for support. The study was supported by the regional school ministries.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.