Changing Spanish preservice teachers' environmental attitudes with a citizen science program integrated in Environmental Education subject

• Published in: European journal of education Vol. 59; no. 4
• Main Authors: Diez Ojeda, María, Queiruga‐Dios, Marián, Queiruga‐Dios, Miguel Ángel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2024
• Subjects: Attitudes; Citizens; Control Groups; Educational theory; Effect Size; Elementary Education; Environmental education; Environmental movements; Environmental protection; Experiential learning; Learning Theories; Preservation; Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice training; Program Attitudes; Science Activities; Student attitudes; Teachers
• ISSN: 0141-8211; 1465-3435
• DOI: 10.1111/ejed.12746

This research analyzes the effect of the implementation of citizen science activities in the Environmental Education (EE) subject program of the Degree in Primary Education applying Experiential Learning Theory. Environmental Attitudes Inventory (EAI) was used to measure the change in environmental attitudes (EA) of 173 preservice teachers through a pre‐test–post‐test experimental design without a control group. Participation in the training program significantly improved EA in the 12 dimensions defined in the EAI. Of the dimensions included in the second order factor Preservation , Enjoyment of nature reached the largest effect size and Environmental movement activism is the one that obtains the smallest effect size. With regard to Utilization , all dimensions presented a large effect size. No significant differences were found in EA based on the gender variable. It can be concluded that the incorporation of citizen science activities in the EE program significantly improves EA.