Increasing Children’s Positive Connection To, Orientation Toward, and Knowledge of Nature through Nature Camp Experiences

APA 6th edition
In-text: (Jose & , 2017)
Your Bibliography: Jose, A.L.S. & , K.E.N. (2017). Increasing Children’s Positive Connection To, Orientation Toward, and Knowledge of Nature through Nature Camp Experiences. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 12(5), 933-944.

Harvard
In-text: (Jose and , 2017)
Your Bibliography: Jose, A. and , K. (2017). Increasing Children’s Positive Connection To, Orientation Toward, and Knowledge of Nature through Nature Camp Experiences. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 12(5), pp. 933-944.

Chicago 16th edition
In-text: (Jose and 2017)
Your Bibliography: Jose, Alyssa L. San and Keith E. Nelson (2017). "Increasing Children’s Positive Connection To, Orientation Toward, and Knowledge of Nature through Nature Camp Experiences". International Journal of Environmental and Science Education 12 (5):933-944.

Abstract

What do children actually carry away from participating in planned activities in natural areas such as those in outdoor camps and schools? Prior research has seldom been rigorous in establishing participants’ connection to, knowledge of, and orientation toward nature before intervention, followed by a clear specification of what range of experiences in nature are included in an intervention, together with the rigorous assessment at post-test, after the educational intervention.This study provided such a design for children who attended an outdoor nature camp in the Pennsylvania woods. Fifth-grade campers (177) were administered pre-test and post-test measures. Findings demonstrated significant gains in areas of connection to, knowledge of, and orientation toward nature. Relative to prior developmental literature, the gains made by the children through their nature camp experience are particularly broad and significant. Overall, the data derived from this study show impressive impacts of a four-day outdoor nature program and will help inform future efforts to improve the quality and impact of outdoor nature camps and similar experiences in nature.

Keywords: experimental design, nature awareness, nature camp, Nature Education, nature connectedness

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