After-school program environment-based education: A pedagogy for promoting biodiversity conservation

• Main Author: Garcia, Maria Rosario Virginia Cobar
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/446
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study investigated the effectiveness of a 5E model-aided Environment-Based Education (EBE) pedagogy that is conceptualized to operate within the context of a nonformal education which is the After-School Program (ASP) and guided by a researcher made module. The primary aim of the After-School Program Environment-Based Education (ASP-EBE) pedagogy is to fill the gap between the need to promote biodiversity conservation using Environment Education (EE) and the non-inclusion of EE among some college curricula through the enhancement and/or development of the learners conceptual understanding on biodiversity conservation and other variables on study: pro-ecological beliefs, pro-ecological attitude, pro-ecological empathy, proecological self-efficacy and pro-ecological behavioral intentions. The study utilized an interventional, single group mixed-method design, wherein, the learners of AY 2012- 2013 and AY 2014-2015 were purposively chosen. As the activities and experiences in the module are not part of their curriculum, the learners who worked in groups, were monitored only before and after each phase of the 5E learning cycle. Quantitative data were taken from the pre- and post-test surveys that were analyzed via descriptive statistical treatments, t-test, SEM and path analysis. Qualitative data, which were provided by learners responses to open-ended statements in a narrative interview guide as well as evaluation of the ASP-EBE Module, were processed following the six phases of thematic analysis of Braun & Clarke (2006). Results revealed that there is significant difference between the learners pre-and post-test survey scores after undergoing the ASP-EBE pedagogy as guided by the researcher-made ASP-EBE module. In addition, the results generally showed a slight to moderate increase in the mean scores of the variables on study. Both quantitative and qualitative findings suggest that the ASP-EBE pedagogy, as well as the ASP-EBE module, are somewhat effective in improving learners conceptual understanding on biodiversity conservation including the other variables on study. The results of the study can provide solutions into bridging the gaps towards the: (a) development of a non-formal educational program for environmental education; (b) higher educations strict compliance with RA 9512; and (c) in conserving biodiversity.