Browsing by Subject "Environmental education -- Minnesota"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Best Practices in Environmental Education Fields Trips: The Importance of Curricular Integration, Preparation, and Follow-up
    (2015-05) Floberg, Kathleen
    There is a large body of research extending across multiple disciplines that indicate how to implement a field trip so it reaches optimal educational potential. Past research shows that more comprehensive preparation and follow-up leads to a better learning experience. This study describes the preparation and follow-up Minnesota teachers conduct with their students before and after an extended field trip to a residential environmental learning center (RELC), how these teachers connect such trips to formal curriculum, and the kind of support and resources RELCs provide teachers to facilitate preparation and follow-up for field trips to their facilities was determined. Results show that there are inconsistencies between the RELCs in terms of the resources they provide to teachers before and after field trips. Teachers welcome preparation and follow-up materials but face similar barriers to integrating field trips into their formal curriculum as those that have been stated in research for over 30 years. In addition, the types of preparation and follow up teachers conduct with their students fall on a wide spectrum, similar to past research findings. This was an initial step towards a greater understanding of how extended field trips to RELCs in Minnesota can be integrated into the formal classroom and what research efforts are needed to support these understandings.
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    Philosophical Orientation to Adult Learning: A Descriptive Study of Minnesota Environmental Education Practitioners
    (2009) Zoellick, Erin
    Adult education and environmental education (EE) are well-established, separate fields whose intersection requires further research and understanding. To reach the adult audience, EE practitioners throughout the state of Minnesota offer adult EE programs that work toward a variety of EE's goals. This study explored the adult education philosophical orientations of Minnesota EE practitioners using The Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory© (PAEI). As a result, this study also addressed the relationships of adult education philosophical orientation to position, training, and experiences of EE practitioners. Results inform EE practitioners' strategies for designing and delivering adult EE programs.
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    Utilization of School Forests in Minnesota
    (2012) Krause, Sharon L
    Multiple learning theories suggest outdoor education and environmental education are effective teaching tools for a variety of learners. They have been found to be especially effective when students are given the opportunity to do experiential work in an outdoor setting, strengthening students’ overall knowledge and critical thinking skills (Peacock, 2006). One resource for outdoor and environmental education is a school forest. Using schools which participate in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources School Forests Program, this study used survey research to investigate the use and rationale for using school forests by elementary teachers. This study identified positive motivational factors as well as barriers which make it difficult for teachers to utilize school forests more often. The results indicate school forests are underutilized and also offer some suggestions for ways to alleviate the barriers that keep teachers from using them more often.
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    Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center Organic Farm: A Curriculum Evaluation
    (2015-05) Stewart, Melanie Jain
    Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center (WRELC), located in Finland, MN, recently developed a new curriculum for their on-site organic farm. Using a one group pre-test/post-test design, this evaluative study investigated the effectiveness of the WRELC Organic Farm curriculum at enhancing participants’ knowledge of the food system. Mean knowledge scores collected from a quantitative survey significantly increased from pre- to post-test among all five knowledge domains measured. Additionally, there were few effects of demographic variables measured, indicating that this curriculum was generally effective for most participants. A qualitative interview with the instructor of the classes lent support to quantitative findings. Results from this study point toward an overall success of this curriculum at enhancing participants’ knowledge of the food system. Recommendations for WRELC were provided, and areas for future research were noted.