Assessing MarineQuest: a follow-up study on effects of a summer residential marine environmental education program on knowledge and attitudes

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Kurt Tressler (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
Advisor
Joel Mintzes

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a one-week marine science education program, UNCW’s MarineQuest program, on the participants’ knowledge and attitudes towards the marine environment. This study is the second of a multi-year assessment examining the effectiveness of an informal environmental education program. Subjects were instructed on creating concept maps using techniques developed by Novak and Gowin (1984). Knowledge content and structure scores were obtained from concept maps and multiple choice surveys. Attitude scores were obtained using the Marine Life Attitude Inventory created by Andrews (2003) based on Kellert’s (1985) attitudinal dimensions towards wildlife. Data sets (2003 and 2006) were combined and analyzed using Chi-squared, Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon, and Tukey- Kramer tests. The results of this study show significant differences favoring the Experimental Group I in structural complexity and knowledge content of participants. Differences in Mastery of Learning Objectives and Marine Animal Life Attitude Inventory posttest scores were significant, favoring the experimental group in all cases. These findings further support the MarineQuest program’s significant influence on participants’ knowledge and attitudes towards the marine environment and provide future guidelines for developing curricular and assessment efforts in environmental education.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
Environmental education--Activity programs , Marine ecology--Study and teaching , MarineQuest Program
Subjects
MarineQuest Program
Environmental education -- Activity programs
Marine ecology -- Study and teaching

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