Climate change education: quantitatively assessing the impact of a botanical garden as an informal learning environment

Abstract

Although informal learning environments have been studied extensively, ours is one of the first studies to quantitatively assess the impact of learning in botanical gardens on students' cognitive achievement. We observed a group of 10th graders participating in a one-day educational intervention on climate change implemented in a botanical garden. The students completed multiple-choice questionnaires in a pre-post-retention test design. Comparing the test scores revealed a significant short-term knowledge gain as well as a long-term knowledge gain. Consequently, our results show the potentials of botanical gardens as effective learning environments, and for complementing formal school-based learning settings regarding climate change education.

Keywords:

• environmental education
• botanical garden
• cognitive achievement
• climate change
• out-of-school learning

Notes

1. Phenological gardens are used to determine climate induced changes in the phenology of plant species. Phenological stages that are observed are, for example, beginning of flowering or leaf fall. There are several projects connecting phenological gardens from different global regions (e.g. International Phenological Gardens, Global Monitoring Program).

2. System knowledge comprises basic knowledge about a certain topic, e.g. climate change (The production of energy through burning of fossil fuels leads to greenhouse gas emissions.). Action-related knowledge concerns the available behavioural options (Energy saving is a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and helps mitigate climate change.). Effectiveness knowledge qualifies to assess how effective a behaviour might be (The use of energy-saving lamps needs five times less energy than that of a n electric bulb.).

3. Within this paper, we refer to nonschool learning environments as ‘informal.’

4. … the term free-choice learning is used to refer to the type of learning that occurs when individuals exercise significant choice and control over their learning. Free-choice learning typically, but not necessarily, occurs outside schools (Falk 2005, 270).