Outdoor environmental education (OEE) programs can provide a valuable entry point for youth of color and girls who may have felt excluded and/or marginalized from traditional science learning experiences. This study investigated: (1) Can OEE programs contribute to the development of positive dispositions toward science and the environment?, and (2) Are there differences in effects by racial/ethnic and gender identity, or interactions thereof? Youth (n = 457; grades 4-6, approximate ages 9-12) reported their dispositions toward science and the environment along 5 scales before and after participating in OEE programs. Results found growth across all subscales for youth overall. Girls showed stronger effects than boys, and youth of color showed stronger effects than White youth. Girls of color showed particularly strong growth in Comfort in Nature. The implications of these results, particularly as a challenge to long-standing biases and inequities in the field, are discussed.

View Article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2024.2340502#abstract


Publication: The value of outdoor environmental education programs for girls and youth of color: cultivating positive dispositions toward science and the environment

Publisher: Environmental Education Research

Year: 2024

Topics:

  • Environmental & Outdoor Science Education
  • Environmental Dispositions
  • Science Dispositions

Related Publications

Peaks and Valleys: A landscape study of environmental literacy implementation in and out of California’s TK-12 classrooms

By Melissa A. Collins, Devin A. Cavero, Alex Sanchez, Jedda Foreman, Amy Frame, Valeria F. Romero, Andra Yeghoian, Karen Cowe and Sarah Pedemonte

For decades, Californians—like populations around the world—have been experiencing the ramifications of centuries-long environmental destruction. Children and youth across the state have demonstrated their deep [...]

Download (PDF)

View Article

Improving Outdoor Science Teaching and Learning: The Implementation of a Capacity-Building Model in Outdoor Science Programs

By Valeria Fike Romero, Melissa Collins, Aujanee Young, Vicky Laina, Rena Dorph, Aparajita Pande, Craig Strang and Jedda Foreman

This paper examines the role and value of professional learning and organizational capacity building in outdoor science education by investigating several questions analyzing the Better [...]

Download (PDF)

BEETLES: An Evaluation of a Capacity Building Model to Support Outdoor Science Programs

By Valeria Romero, Vasiliki Laina and Aparajita Pande

This brief shares (1) the underlying goals and design principles for the BEETLES project, (2) a summary of the field-testing process, and (3) program leaders’ [...]

Download (PDF)

Impacts from COVID-19: Resilient Outdoor Science Programs Need Support as Challenges Persist

By Melissa Collins, Aparajita Pande, Craig Strang, Jedda Foreman and Rena Dorph

More than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States and forced widespread lockdowns, closures, and social distancing, the field of outdoor science [...]

Download (PDF)