Work

Experiential Environmental Education as a Tool to Enhance Awareness of Ecosystem Services Among Adolescents: Evidence from Outdoor Workshops in Lublin, Poland

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The integration of environmental education into sustainable development is essential for preparing future generations to understand and value ecosystems. This exploratory study examines the short-term effectiveness of two pedagogical approaches—traditional classroom lectures and field workshops with a game-based format—in enhancing adolescents’ awareness of ecosystem services, with emphasis on intangible cultural values. The intervention involved 150 sixth- and seventh-grade students from two schools in Lublin, Poland. The control group attended a lecture, while the experimental group engaged in a six-hour outdoor lesson including a 90 min workshop in the semi-natural green area of Górki Czechowskie. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with t-tests, ANOVA, regression, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Both methods improved knowledge, but workshops significantly enhanced place-based awareness (p = 0.017) and showing a statistical trend on recognition of intangible values (p = 0.063). Cluster analysis identified learner profiles: Absorbers (low baseline knowledge, strong relative gains), Narrators (high-achieving girls with improved recognition of intangible services), Eco-Masters (high baseline, limited gains), and Nature Lovers (frequent contact with nature, modest improvement). Notably, low-achieving boys also benefited substantially from experiential activities. These results highlight the value of experiential, narrative-driven education in fostering both cognitive understanding and value-based environmental awareness. Tailoring strategies to learner diversity and preserving semi-natural urban green areas as “living laboratories” are crucial for effective sustainability education. As this research was based on a single-session intervention, the findings should be interpreted as indicative rather than generalizable, offering a preliminary insight into how experiential formats can enhance environmental awareness among adolescents.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su172310439

Authors: Malwina Michalik-Śnieżek, Ewa Trzaskowska, Małgorzata Nowak-Kępczyk, Agnieszka Kułak, Halina Lipińska, Teresa Wyłupek

Institutions: University of Life Sciences in Lublin, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

Language: English

Topic: Environmental and sustainability education

Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896