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The Effect of a Nature-Based Environmental Education Program on Children’s Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors: A Randomized Experiment with Primary Schools

Author

Listed:
  • Silvia Collado

    (Department of Psychology and Sociology, Universidad de Zaragoza, 44003 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Claudio D. Rosa

    (Department of Development and Environment, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45658-630, Brazil)

  • José A. Corraliza

    (Department of Social Psychology and Methodology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

The evidence about the effects of nature-based instruction on pro-environmentalism is uncompelling, mainly due to a lack of controlled experiments. This hinders causal claims and the provision of intervention guidelines. We present an experiment examining the impact of a nature-based environmental education (NBEE) program included in the school curriculum on children’s environmental attitudes (EA) and behaviors (EB). Children who followed the program through traditional instruction were used as a control group. Seven Spanish primary schools participated in the program and school classes were randomly assigned to the NBEE program (experimental group, N = 516) or the environmental education (EE) through traditional instruction (control group, N = 218). Our results indicate that children’s EA increased more in the NBEE group than in the control group. On average, EB remained virtually the same in both groups of children across time. In light of our findings, we encourage the promotion of a nature-based pedagogy in formal education to enhance children’s environmental attitudes.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Collado & Claudio D. Rosa & José A. Corraliza, 2020. "The Effect of a Nature-Based Environmental Education Program on Children’s Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors: A Randomized Experiment with Primary Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:6817-:d:402556
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Teresa Monte & Pedro Reis, 2021. "Design of a Pedagogical Model of Education for Environmental Citizenship in Primary Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, May.
    2. María-Carmen Ricoy & Cristina Sánchez-Martínez, 2022. "Raising Ecological Awareness and Digital Literacy in Primary School Children through Gamification," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-19, January.
    3. Renan de Almeida Barbosa & Christoph Randler & José Vicente Lima Robaina, 2021. "Values and Environmental Knowledge of Student Participants of Climate Strikes: A Comparative Perspective between Brazil and Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-18, July.
    4. Rūtenis Jančius & Algirdas Gavenauskas & Antanas Ūsas, 2021. "The Influence of Values and the Social Environment on the Environmental Attitudes of Students: The Case of Lithuania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-22, October.

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