Outcomes of art-based environmental education in the Hudson River Watershed

Abstract

This mixed methods case study research evaluates the outcomes of a place-based experiential environmental education curriculum that incorporated environmental art and muralism to teach fifth to sixth graders about the Hudson River Watershed, environmental issues, and ecosystem recovery. Students showed a statistically significant improvement at post-test for environmental knowledge. While environmental attitude scores for Preservation and Utilization increased, they showed no statistically significant improvement. Qualitative findings highlight environmental art as an effective component for student understanding. This research adds to the handful of empirical research that evaluates the outcomes of incorporating environmental art into a suite of place-based experiential education pedagogies.

Notes

1 See hudsoncrossingpark.org for more information on this location.

2 Schneller and Irizarry’s (2014) research in Baja California Sur, Mexico found that sea turtle murals (designed and painted by students) displayed in public spaces helped to foster public environmental knowledge, community support for conservation and recovery efforts, and encouraged pro-environmental attitudes.

3 Cronbach’s Alpha in knowledge test was 0.90.