Assessing three teaching approaches using workstations

Glaab, S. ., & Heyne, T. . (2020). Focus wildlife park: Outdoor learning at workstations for primary school children. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 19, 141-154.

Environmental education (EE) is conducted in a variety of settings, from classrooms and playgrounds to zoos and aquariums. Outdoor or out-of-school learning environments, such as field trips, are an excellent setting for EE as they immerse students in their surroundings. Though studies of students who participated in out-of-school learning experiences have shown positive cognitive learning results, some teachers are hesitant to utilize such opportunities due to health and safety concerns or a perception that students will not learn as well in these settings. This study compared the efficacy of three teaching approaches using workstations, where students work on multiple tasks in small groups or independently, during an educational intervention at a wildlife park.

The study was conducted at the Klaushof wildlife park in Germany during the summers of 2014 and 2015. A total of 268 third-grade students participated in the study, which occurred in four parts: a pre-test, educational intervention, post-test, and retention test. Each test was a 13-item questionnaire designed to determine participants' knowledge of the European wildcat, and all three tests consisted of the same questions in different orders. The post-test also included questions to measure participants' emotions (wellbeing, boredom, and interest). The pre-test was given one week before the intervention, the post-test immediately after, and the retention test was given 6-8 weeks after the visit. All students participated in an educational intervention about the European wildcat's. Participants were split into groups to complete a series of workstations. One group comprised of 100 students who participated in the teacher-centered approach, where the teacher led students through the workstations, providing information and assistance throughout. Another group included 67 students who participated in the student-centered instruction guided learning approach, in which the teacher supervised the students as they completed the workstations more independently. The third group, the strong student-centered approach, consisted of 101 students who completed the workstations without any teacher assistance. The researchers also established a control group of 18 additional students who were given the questionnaires without attending the educational intervention.

The researchers found that, for all three experimental groups, knowledge significantly increased from the pre-test to the post-test, as well as from the pre-test to the retention test. The control group showed no significant increases in knowledge from the pre-test to the post-or retention tests. They also found that all students reported high levels of wellbeing and interest, and low boredom, indicating that the type of instruction had little to no effect on participants' emotions. Students who participated in the teacher-centered and student-centered instruction guided learning groups had similar knowledge level increases from the pre- to post-tests, while those in the strong student-centered group showed a smaller increase in knowledge. These results indicate that a more involved educator in a lesson may lead to a more positive learning outcome in an out-of-school learning setting. There were no significant differences between approaches in the retention test scores, which the researchers attributed to a lack of follow-up instruction.

There were some limitations to this study. The sample consisted of only third-grade students in Germany, which limits the generalizability of the results. The researchers noted that the scale used to measure emotions is age sensitive, so the results may differ in participants of different ages. Also, the use of workstations may not be applicable in all outdoor learning settings.

The researchers recommend that teachers actively participate in educational activities taking place in out-of-school learning settings, even if their role is relatively minimal. The presence of an educator will help to limit off-task behavior as well as facilitate a constructive learning experience for students. The researchers feel teachers need not fear out-of-school learning opportunities, like presented at the wildlife park, as positive learning outcomes can occur for students.

The Bottom Line

<p>Outdoor or out-of-school learning environments can be an excellent setting for environmental education. This study compared the efficacy of three teaching approaches—strong student-centered (S), teacher-centered (T), and student-centered instruction guided learning (G)—during an educational intervention at a wildlife park in Germany. A total of 268 third-grade students participated in the study, each completing a pre-test, educational intervention (EI), post-test, and retention test. The tests measured students' knowledge of wildcats and their emotions after an EI focused on the European wildcat. Students were split into three groups, one for each teaching approach, to complete a series of workstations. Students who participated in the T and G groups had similar gains in knowledge from the pre- to post-tests, while those in the S group showed a smaller gain in knowledge. They also found that the type of instruction had little to no effect on participants' emotions. The researchers concluded that an educator's presence in out-of-school learning settings increases students' learning outcomes.</p>

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