Exploration of Environmental Adult Education Participant Experiences and Implications for Future Practices

Abstract

Initiatives promoting environmental adult education (EAE) through professional development (PD) ensures educators have the knowledge and skills to inform their audience about environmental literacy and stewardship. However, no research has focused on reflective experiences of an EAE PD from educator participants at least five years after participation. Eight past participants were interviewed to determine whether and how they saw their performance changing in relation to natural resources conservation and how they shared these changes with others. Analysis using the contextual lenses of EAE, outdoor experiential learning, and transformative learning theories led to five emergent themes: (a) becoming a more effective educator; (b) increasing awareness of conservation importance; (c) experiencing positive emotional effects; (d) augmenting behaviors that impact the environment; and (e) having positive experiences at the EAE PD location. These findings may ignite new means for approaching curriculum specific content with heightened attention on the value of conserving natural resources.