Reviewing conservation education program evaluations over time

As global biodiversity continues to decline, conservation efforts through education and outreach have intensified to combat this problem. Conservation education (CE) is a key component of these endeavors and of environmental education (EE) as a whole. Conservation education contains a strong advocacy component and aims to develop participants' values, beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about conservation issues. Program evaluations can be used to determine the efficacy of these educational efforts, identify areas for improvement, and help procure funding. These evaluations are critical for designing programs that will achieve conservation goals through education and outreach. This literature review aimed to identify trends and broad conclusions from CE evaluation literature over the last 25 years by addressing four main topics: trends in CE program evaluations; patterns in the ecological or social issues addressed in programs; metrics used to consider efficacy of CE programs; and program outcomes.

This literature review was conducted in January of 2015. The researchers considered peer-reviewed literature, conference proceedings, and gray literature (materials from government agencies, academics, and for-profit organizations not commercially published) published from 1990 through 2014 for their literature review. Using the search terms “environmental education”, “conservation education”, and “environmental communication” in combination with “outcomes OR evaluation”, the researchers selected articles from two databases: Web of Science and Education Resources Information Center. They received 160 results from this initial search. After reviewing the abstracts, any literature that described a conservation education strategy (a strategy that addresses an issue that has a direct or indirect negative impact on biodiversity conservation) was selected for inclusion in the analysis. A total of 79 studies were reviewed as part of the final analysis. The researchers extracted relevant data and coded excerpts of the papers which were reviewed for common themes.

The researchers observed an increase in program evaluations over time, noting that the majority of program evaluations were conducted between 2010 and 2014. Evaluations also increased globally, more specifically in developing countries, from 2010 to 2014. In the early 1990s most program evaluations were conducted in the United States. Most programs addressed cognitive or ecological issues, with few programs addressing social or human behavior issues. The researchers also identified an increase in programs focused on ecological issues in recent years, though there was no statistically significant relationship between the type of issue addressed and time. Most studies focused on one issue, and none addressed more than two issues. There were no statistically significant differences in the types of metrics--either cognitive, behavioral, social, or ecological--used to determine the efficacy of CE programs, though researchers noted that cognitive or affective metrics such as knowledge, attitudes, and awareness were mentioned most frequently. There was no significant relationship between time and the metrics used. Most studies reported positive cognitive or affective outcomes, while approximately half reported changes in behaviors. Only 20 studies measured social outcomes, and just 17 measured ecological outcomes, though in both cases the studies reported positive outcomes. Most studies used quantitative methods of evaluation, such as testing, while 13 used qualitative methods such as interviews or observations, and 23 used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. Based on the results, researchers concluded that better connections need to be made between the issues addressed in CE programs and the metrics used to evaluate said programs.

This literature review had some limitations. Only two databases and four search terms were used, which limited the number of articles included in the study. Also, there may be many CE program evaluations not in the peer-reviewed literature, excluding an additional portion of relevant studies.

The researchers underscored the importance of designing effective program evaluations to improve CE programming and further conservation goals. They recommend using a variety of metrics (cognitive, behavioral, social, and ecological) and methods to evaluate CE outcomes and note the importance of incorporating stakeholder input into program evaluation development. They also suggest incorporating longitudinal evaluations to better understand the lasting effect of program outcomes.