Identifying areas and approaches for improving evaluation processes in environmental education in the United States of America

Evaluation has not been used to its fullest potential in environmental education (EE). Pressures from external stakeholders can cause organizations to focus on reporting requirements at the expense of conducting evaluations that support programmatic improvement. Understanding practitioners' satisfaction with their evaluation processes and the drivers of this satisfaction may reveal strategies for improving evaluation processes in the field of EE. We administered an online survey to EE practitioners in the United States via email and social media. Our results indicate low satisfaction with evaluation processes overall, but greater satisfaction from organizations engaged in systematic formal evaluation, particularly processes focused on adaptive management and programmatic improvement, when compared to evaluations focused on satisfying external accountabilities or using informal evaluation processes based on nonsystematic observation and reflection. Our results also highlight current gaps in using evaluation for adaptive management and for furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the field.

Automated summary

Evaluation in environmental education has not been fully utilized. Satisfaction with evaluation processes is low, especially for informal evaluation based on nonsystematic observation and reflection. Emphasizing adaptive management and programmatic improvement in evaluations, as well as addressing gaps in adaptive management and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, can lead to better quality environmental education.