Contextualized evidence of learning in environmental education : using drawings, interviews and surveys to investigate students' understanding and perceptions of wetlands.
Abstract: This study investigated 59 grade 5 students' understanding and perceptions of wetlands before and after participation in the field and classroom-based "Wetlands" program. A combination of survey, interview and drawn responses gathered over a 12-month period provided contextualized evidence of program-specific learning experiences and retention of the program's content. Students were able to recognize and describe how their understanding of wetlands ecology changed using their pre- and post-drawings, and were able to apply their program experiences in discussing wetland conservation issues. Positive attitudes, understanding of wetland biotic and abiotic features and their interactions, and value of wetland ecosystems congruent with the educational objectives of the Wetlands program were demonstrated up to 12 months after program participation. Recommendations for application of research instruments as program and learning assessment tools are made
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