Target Audience Research: Students, K-12

BEPs Research Navigation

Target Audience Research

Study-specific findings for 15 audiences, PDF

Research Bibliography

Knowledge Area BEPs

Audience Description:

K-12 Students are: youth engaged in formal, elementary and secondary education programs

Findings by Outreach Theme

Findings by Essential BEPs

Study-Specific BEPs

These study-specific Best Education Practices distill findings derived from the studies listed in the References below, which were identified using a meta-analysis technique.

Outreach Themes: BEPs are described by one or more of seven focus areas.

Outreach Categories

Research Recommendations

The Audience

 Use a test or an advance activity to learn information about students, in order to enhance the likelihood of an increase in student knowledge about a specific water topic through presentation of the topic in a way which is interesting and relevant to students and builds motivation to learn.

Message content

Carefully determine what is important for students to know and why before presenting classroom activities focusing on a specific water topic.

Build student environmental stewardship motivation and competencies by focusing on the characteristics of environmentally responsible behavior:

  • Knowledge of issues
  • Skill in actions
  • Knowledge of ecology and actions
  • Group locus of control
  • Intention to act
  • Environmental sensitivity
  • Personal responsibility
  • Individual locus of control

Message delivery vehicle

 No research available

Outreach strategy

Use multiple methods to introduce specific concepts. Repeat concepts throughout the education experience.

Structure activities at a field site in order to increase knowledge gain, but apply structured activity with care in order to avoid reducing motivation.

Provide activities:

  • With a real problem to solve.
  • That enable students to respond to a real-world or authentic challenge.
  • That enable students to demonstrate mastery through a public presentation.

Incorporate field-based experiences and service-learning as significant components of environmental stewardship programs that focus on building environmentally responsible behavior among students.

Public participation

 No research available

Supporting and motivating professionals

 No research available

Evaluation

 No research available

Linking Study-Specific BEPs to Essential BEPs

Essential BEPs provide an overview of Best Education Practices derived from education theory and other meta-analysis studies. This table shows which Essential BEPs are highlighted by research about K-12 students as a target audience. The entire collection of Essential BEPs is available on the Water Outreach website.

Education for:

The learning experience:

The Individual

Has a clear purpose with tightly focused outcomes and objectives.

Is learner centered, and consequently:

  • Can be adapted to individual differences in learning strategies and approaches.
  • Assesses the learner in order to set appropriately high and challenging standards.
  • Encourages the learner to set meaningful learning goals and to take personal responsibility for their own learning.
  • Enables the learner to link new knowledge to their existing knowledge in meaningful ways.

Provides opportunities for extended effort and practice.

Builds on positive emotions, curiosity, enjoyment, and interest.

Promotes active engagement and real world problem solving.

The Class or Group

Uses creative approaches.

Builds environmental literacy.

Builds from key principles underlying environmental education.

Web-Based Learning

 No relevant research findings

The Community

 No relevant research findings

Beyond the Community

 No relevant research findings

Supporting References

Fortner, R. W., & Lahm, A. C. (1990). Research program outreach into the classroom: An estuarine research reserve initiative. Journal of Environmental Education, 21(4), 7-12.

Fortner, R. W., & Mayer, V. J. (1991). Repeated measures of students’ marine and Great Lakes awareness. Journal of Environmental Education, 23(1), 30-35.

Milton, B., & Cleveland, E. (1995). Changing perceptions of nature, self and others: A report on a park/school program. Journal of Environmental Education, 26(3), 32-39.

Zint, M., Kraemer, A., Northway, H., & Lim, M. (2002). Evaluation of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s conservation education programs.Conservation Biology, 16(3), 641-649.