| June |
This project is now complete. The final report is available on the home page. Further academic papers will be made available in due course |
| September |
September 2007: Jan and Roy presented a preliminary report of the findings at the O&EEC Conference at North Keppel Island. The draft report is available on the home page. If you have any comments, please feel free to email Jan Packer on j.packer@uq.edu.au |
| Nov-Jan 2007 |
All data have now been collected. Thank you to all participants. Data entry and analysis is continuing |
| October |
Observational data and interviews with EEC staff have been collected at Pullenvale EEC and initial interviews have been conducted with school staff and students participating in the program. Pre-visit environmental self efficacy questionnaires have also been administered to children. Observational data and school-based measures have also been collected for the Bunya to Bay program. Thanks to Ron, Simone, Merryl, Rod and Tony and all participants at schools. This marks the end of the first part of the Stage 2 data collection at O&EECs.
The remaining data that is being collected are the 2-3 month post-visit measures at schools. These post-visit measures include interviews with classroom teachers as to the extent to which programs had been integrated with subsequent classroom activities and longer term learning outcomes, repeating the Environmental Self Efficacy questionnaire with students and interviewing students individually using the Environmental Learning Outcomes Scale (ELOS). The ELOS is a structured interview schedule designed to measure students’ conceptual learning, emotional responses, attitudinal change and behavioural intentions as a result of participating in an O&EEC program. These data have been collected from the classroom teachers and students attending the two Toohey Forest EEC programs, the Boyne Island EEC program and the second Bunyaville EEC program. Thank you to all participants in schools. |
| September |
Observational data and student interviews have been conducted on the Bunya to Bay program, with EEC teacher and classroom teacher interviews scheduled for after the school holidays. Data have been collected at a Pullenvale EEC program and a Holloways Beach EEC program. Thanks to Rod, Ron, Biff and all EEC staff, as well as classroom teachers and students for their support. The three month follow-up data collection also continued with data collected at schools who had attended Nudgee Beach EEC, Bunyaville EEC and Barambah EEC earlier in the year. |
| August |
Data have been collected at Toohey Forest EEC, Nudgee Beach EEC’s short at-school program during the local school’s Science Expo and associated extension programs held at the EEC, and at Boyne Island EEC. Thanks to Darren, Mary Ann and Ross, David and Tom and everyone who made the data collection possible. The three month follow-up data collection also commenced, with student and classroom teacher interviews being conducted with a school who had attended Bunyaville EEC earlier in the year. The Environmental Self Efficacy questionnaire was also repeated with students. Thank you to all participants. |
| June/July |
Toohey Forest EEC and Barambah EEC were visited to collect data for the project. Thank you to Darren and Mark, all centre staff, school staff and students for their participation. |
| May |
Data have been collected at Nudgee Beach EEC and Bunyaville EEC, and the schools attending the selected programs at these centres. In three month's time, follow-up interviews will be conducted with both students and classroom teachers. The Environmental Self Efficacy questionnaire will also be repeated with students. Thank you to all participants |
| April |
Data collection times have been arranged with the majority of O&EEC's. The first data will be collected at Nudgee Beach EEC in early May, followed by Bunyaville EEC in mid May. Our research assistant, Michele Leiminer, passes on her sincere thanks to Principals of O&EEC's for their generous cooperation in selecting programmes and arranging access with schools. |
| March |
Organising for Stage 2 of the data collection commenced (and continues) with programme selection and timelining being arranged with Principals of Outdoor & Environmental Education Centres. Stage 2 of the project involves in-depth case studies of O&EEC programmes in terms of the impact of O&EEC pedagogies and partnership approaches on student learning for sustainability. |
| February |
New research assistant on the ‘Learning for Sustainability’ project, Michele Leiminer, commences her appointment. |
| November & December |
Research Assistant Petra Skoien leaves UQ. Her contribution to the successful completion of project targets for Year 1 is gratefully acknowledged.
The five main outcomes in 2005 for the 'Learning for Sustainability' project were:
- 1. Data were collected from Principals of 23 participating Centres through telephone interviews and two surveys (an online questionnaire; and an overview of programs survey). This data have provided a large amount of information about the type and nature of program provision; principals' perceptions of success factors in their programs and pedagogy; and forms the basis for the selection of specific programs for the in-depth study of student environmental learning outcomes in 2006.
- 2. Two key instruments to measure student learning in 2006 were developed and piloted. These are the Environmental Learning Outcomes Survey (ELOS) and the Student Observation Schedule (SOS). The ELOS is a structured interview schedule which will be used to gather information about students' environmental learning immediately following their participation in a program. Students will be interviewed again approximately three months after the initial administration. The SOS will be used to systematically observe and record patterns of student behaviour during an environmental education program.
- 3. Qualitative data from the telephone interviews with 23 O&EEC principals were analysed. A research paper based on the findings is being prepared for submission to a refereed journal.
- 4. Data from the online survey and the overview of program surveys were analysed in terms of the scope and nature of programs. From this information we have identified 12 programs from the nine participating Centres that will be the focus of Phase 2.
- 5. Information gathered from Centre Principals in 2005 is being collated for a database. Programs will be annotated according to aims, target student groups, dominant pedagogies, expected outcomes and partnership approaches. This database will be made available to industry partner, Education Queensland for use by Principals and staff of O&EECs, and other Education Queensland personnel.
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