The Effect of a Nature-Based Environmental Education of Children: The Importance of Environmental Knowledge and the Connectedness to Nature, Together, are Related to Ecological Behavior and Environmental Attitude

Abstract

There is a lack of rigorous research studies investigating the impact of nature-based training on environmental activism, so the outcomes remain uncertain. As a consequence, making statements regarding causation and providing suggestions for actions becomes more difficult. The authors of the paper provide a comprehensive analysis of the results obtained from an experiment that examined the influence of a nature-based environmental education (NBEE) curriculum on the environmental attitudes (EA) and behaviours (EB) of pupils. The control group included the children who participated in the course while continuing their attendance at conventional schools. The venture included seven primary schools in Spain. Classes were randomly allocated to either the NBEE programme or the regular environmental education (EE) curriculum at each school. Our study revealed that the group of youngsters who received NBEE showed a substantial increase in EA growth compared with the control group. The average incidence of EB in both groups of kids remained rather stable throughout time. The results of our research support the notion that including a nature-centered teaching approach within formal educational programmes might be advantageous in cultivating students' awareness and concern for the environment.