Environmental Education Organizations and Programs in Texas: Identifying Patterns through a Database and Survey Approach for Establishing Frameworks for Assessment and Progress
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| Title: | Environmental Education Organizations and Programs in Texas: Identifying Patterns through a Database and Survey Approach for Establishing Frameworks for Assessment and Progress |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Lloyd-Strovas, Jenny D., Arsuffi, Thomas L. |
| Source: | World Journal of Education. 2016 6(6):1-17. |
| Availability: | Sciedu Press. 1120 Finch Avenue West Suite 701-309, Toronto, ON., M3J 3H7, Canada. Tel: 416-479-0028; Fax: 416-642-8548; e-mail: jct@sciedupress.com; Web site: http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/wje/index/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2016 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research Information Analyses |
| Descriptors: | Environmental Education, Databases, Administrator Surveys, Organizations (Groups), Program Evaluation, Curriculum, Instruction, Financial Support, Age Groups, Sex, Race, Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Outdoor Education, Informal Education, Active Learning, Recreational Programs, Guidelines |
| Geographic Terms: | Texas |
| ISSN: | 1925-0746 |
| Abstract: | We examined the diversity of environmental education (EE) in Texas, USA, by developing a framework to assess EE organizations and programs at a large scale: the Environmental Education Database of Organizations and Programs (EEDOP). This framework consisted of the following characteristics: organization/visitor demographics, pedagogy/curriculum, operations, and assessment. A database of organizations was built by surveying EE program directors state-wide. Of 237 possible organizations, 82 responded to the survey. Results showed that 6-20% of Texans are exposed to EE yearly. In 2009, each of these organizations conducted 19 programs to serve 6,000 people using only $7,500 USD (based on medians). Environmental educators most frequently used hands-on, outdoor experiments and group discussions to teach students, suggesting constructivism as the underlying learning theory in Texas EE. The field needs a comprehensive analysis of the large diversity of organizations and programs to better understand the structure and function of EE. Databases are highly effective tools in education research because they provide: 1) a source of quality research; 2) information across multiple scales; 3) networking and collaboration; and 4) comprehensive and longitudinal data for testing theories. This study provides a framework for creating large-scale databases of EE organizations and identifies patterns among and between characteristics. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 70 |
| Entry Date: | 2016 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1157612 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | We examined the diversity of environmental education (EE) in Texas, USA, by developing a framework to assess EE organizations and programs at a large scale: the Environmental Education Database of Organizations and Programs (EEDOP). This framework consisted of the following characteristics: organization/visitor demographics, pedagogy/curriculum, operations, and assessment. A database of organizations was built by surveying EE program directors state-wide. Of 237 possible organizations, 82 responded to the survey. Results showed that 6-20% of Texans are exposed to EE yearly. In 2009, each of these organizations conducted 19 programs to serve 6,000 people using only $7,500 USD (based on medians). Environmental educators most frequently used hands-on, outdoor experiments and group discussions to teach students, suggesting constructivism as the underlying learning theory in Texas EE. The field needs a comprehensive analysis of the large diversity of organizations and programs to better understand the structure and function of EE. Databases are highly effective tools in education research because they provide: 1) a source of quality research; 2) information across multiple scales; 3) networking and collaboration; and 4) comprehensive and longitudinal data for testing theories. This study provides a framework for creating large-scale databases of EE organizations and identifies patterns among and between characteristics. |
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| ISSN: | 1925-0746 |
