The National Envirothon Environmental Literacy Evaluation

File(s)
Date
1996-07Author
Meredith, K. Kathryn
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The Envirothon is an outdoor environmental problem-solving competition for
high school students. Teams of five are tested on their knowledge and skills in five
areas: aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife and current environmental issues. The
Wisconsin Environmental Literacy Assessment, a validated instrument designed at
the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, was given to participants from eight
states. A modified pretest/posttest control group design was used to determine: (1)
the effects of Envirothon involvement on levels of environmental literacy, (2)
whether R-states (states with regional and state level competitions) and 5-states
(states with state level competitions only) differ in effects on environmental literacy
and (3) differences in effects of single versus multiple years of participation on
environmental literacy gains made by participants. Affective, behavioral and
cognitive components of environmental literacy were assessed. Questions ancillary
to the main focus of the evaluation addressed (1) the effects on participants'
perceived knowledge and interest in natural resource professions and (2) differences
between participants and non-participant in knowledge of natural resource agencies.
Envirothon participants demonstrated higher pretest and posttest scores in all areas
of environmental literacy than non-participants. Analysis of test results showed that
participation in the Envirothon has no effect on pre to posttest scores for
components of environmental literacy related to environmental sensitivity and
attitudes and predictors of environmentally responsible behavior (efficacy beliefs).
Participants did demonstrate significant gains in the components of environmental
literacy associated with knowledge of ecological principles, problems and issues, and
knowledge of issue investigation and action strategies. Control group members
demonstrated no significant gains for any component of environmental literacy
from pre to posttest.
R-state and S-state participants' pretest scores were not significantly different for any
component of environmental literacy. Posttest results showed that R-state and 5-
state participants did not score significantly different for components of
environmental literacy associated with environmental sensitivity and attitudes,
predictors of environmentally responsible behavior (efficacy beliefs), and knowledge
of issue investigation and action strategies. Posttest scores for the two subgroups
were significantly different in the areas of knowledge of ecological principles,
problems and issues. Both groups demonstrated significant pre to posttest gains.
Although gains made by R-state participants were 1.77 points higher on average than
S-state participants for the 37 items in this section, this difference was not significant.
Only those participants from R-states who advanced to the State Envirothon were
posttested. This may account for the variations in posttest score between the two
groups.
Analysis of the results suggests that gains made in the area of knowledge of
ecological principles, problems and issues associated with participation in the
Envirothon increase with consecutive years of participation in the program. These
gains were significant for the first two years of participation. Sample size for fourth
year participants was very small, making analysis difficult.
Envirothon participants reported significantly greater perceived knowledge of and
interest in natural resource professions than non-participants. This perceived
knowledge and interest increased significantly from pre to posttest for Envirothon
participants but not for non-participants.
Envirothon participants reported greater perceived knowledge of natural resource
agencies than non-participants for both pretest and posttests. Both groups however,
reported significant pre to posttest gains.