| Scope and method of study. This study investigated the immediate, intermediate, and long-term effects of a three-week environmental education youth program on the environmental literacy levels of high school students. Specifically, the major objectives were: (1) how successful an intensive course format and content were in promoting positive environmental growth in the cognitive and affective domain (attitudes, knowledge and behavior); and (2) whether any cognitive and/or affective changes resulting from participation in the academy continued to exist after three months. A quasi-experimental design utilized a combination of time-series design and a factorial design. The experimental group, Environmental Science Academy (ES), was administered a pre test, post test, and a delayed post test whereas the comparison group, Aerospace Education Academy (AS), received a pretest and a post test.; Findings and conclusions. The ES students exhibited a significant enduring increase in actual commitment to environmental action whereas the AS students exhibited no significant increase. The ES and AS groups were similar in knowledge (K), actual commitment (AC), and affect (A) at the outset, but the ES group was significantly higher in K and A at the post test. In verbal commitment (VC), the ES group was significantly higher on both the pre test and post test. Correlation coefficients indicated a significant positive correlation existed between A and AC, A and VC, and AC and VC on pre, post, and delayed post tests. K was significantly correlated to AC and VC on only the delayed post test. Gender and community size background were not significantly correlated to any subscale whereas ethnicity correlated majority students with A only on the pre test. ES students exhibited an enduring increase in their knowledge of action skills, and their actual participation in those skills, as well as in the categories in which the action skills were grouped. |
