ISHS Acta Horticulturae 639: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Expanding Roles for Horticulture in Improving Human Well-Being and Life Quality
EVALUATING THE EDUCATIONAL IMPACT OF PRE- AND POST- VISIT ACTIVITIES ON ELEMENTARY STUDENTS FOLLOWING A FIELD TRIP TO A UNIVERSITY GARDEN |
| Authors: | C. Haynes, S.J. Gross |
| Keywords: | public gardens, youth gardening, youth learning, novelty effect, human issues in horticulture |
| Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of pre- and post-visit activities on learning after a field trip to a public garden. This quasi-experimental study’s population included four fifth-grade classrooms assigned to either 1) a field trip only (control) or 2) a field trip with pre- and post-visit activities (treatment). A post-trip assessment consisted of open-ended questions and was scored quantitatively. Differences between control and treatment were analyzed using a t-test. Findings indicated there was no significant difference in post-test scores between the control and treatment groups. This study used an open-ended assessment, which may have implications for assessing what students learn on field trips to informal settings. This research has implications for informal settings such as public gardens, botanical centers, and arboreta that seek to measure visitor learning. | |
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