Learnings for Future
(2019) IMEN41 20192The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
- Abstract
- In the present time, the rate of environmental degradation requires us to use all available means to avoid further damage and restore the environment to the best of our possibilities. Education is an important channel to promote environmentalism and sustainability, and to promote pro-environmental individual decisions, especially regarding consumption and purchasing patterns. The case study analysed in this thesis, the Aldea program in Andalusia, Spain, has been implemented in schools for nearly three decades, but its effectiveness in terms of outcomes has not been evaluated. The main existing evaluation process relies on self-evaluations. This thesis, as an evaluation for improvement, can offer insights on actual performance and potential... (More)
- In the present time, the rate of environmental degradation requires us to use all available means to avoid further damage and restore the environment to the best of our possibilities. Education is an important channel to promote environmentalism and sustainability, and to promote pro-environmental individual decisions, especially regarding consumption and purchasing patterns. The case study analysed in this thesis, the Aldea program in Andalusia, Spain, has been implemented in schools for nearly three decades, but its effectiveness in terms of outcomes has not been evaluated. The main existing evaluation process relies on self-evaluations. This thesis, as an evaluation for improvement, can offer insights on actual performance and potential of the program.
The evaluation of the Aldea program is structured in two perspectives: theory evaluation, to understand the current underlying logical structure that supports the implementation of the program and assess its soundness; and implementation evaluation, the study of the usefulness of the program’s activities to reach its goals. This evaluation is undertaken through a case-based study that applies a mixed-methods approach: a quantitative measure of the performance in terms of outcomes through a survey and a qualitative study of plausible causes for the performance, based on document analysis and interviews.
The scope of the project is limited to six schools in the city of Granada, four participants and two non-participant that are a control group. The survey analyses outcomes of all six schools but one, and is limited to students of mandatory secondary education. The quantitative results in the statistical study show that participant schools did not perform significantly better than the control group. The main aspects that seemed to influence behavioural performance were belonging to the only school that made site visits and increased the contact of students with nature. The qualitative results show that there is a potential to identify the goals of the program more clearly, including behavioural change, which is currently implicit. They also point that it is helpful to set a continuous evaluation program and better communication with the wider educative community. Another recommendation is the further professionalisation of the program school coordinator role to provide stability to its implementation.
I hope that these recommendations would lead to an increase in the behavioural performance of the program and, therefore, contribute to the solution of our current environmental issues. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8998925
- author
- Requena Carrion, Alicia LU
- supervisor
-
- Naoko Tojo LU
- Jonas Sonnenschein LU
- organization
- course
- IMEN41 20192
- year
- 2019
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- report number
- 2019:32
- ISSN
- 1401-9191
- language
- English
- id
- 8998925
- date added to LUP
- 2020-01-07 13:14:20
- date last changed
- 2020-01-07 13:14:20
@misc{8998925,
abstract = {{In the present time, the rate of environmental degradation requires us to use all available means to avoid further damage and restore the environment to the best of our possibilities. Education is an important channel to promote environmentalism and sustainability, and to promote pro-environmental individual decisions, especially regarding consumption and purchasing patterns. The case study analysed in this thesis, the Aldea program in Andalusia, Spain, has been implemented in schools for nearly three decades, but its effectiveness in terms of outcomes has not been evaluated. The main existing evaluation process relies on self-evaluations. This thesis, as an evaluation for improvement, can offer insights on actual performance and potential of the program.
The evaluation of the Aldea program is structured in two perspectives: theory evaluation, to understand the current underlying logical structure that supports the implementation of the program and assess its soundness; and implementation evaluation, the study of the usefulness of the program’s activities to reach its goals. This evaluation is undertaken through a case-based study that applies a mixed-methods approach: a quantitative measure of the performance in terms of outcomes through a survey and a qualitative study of plausible causes for the performance, based on document analysis and interviews.
The scope of the project is limited to six schools in the city of Granada, four participants and two non-participant that are a control group. The survey analyses outcomes of all six schools but one, and is limited to students of mandatory secondary education. The quantitative results in the statistical study show that participant schools did not perform significantly better than the control group. The main aspects that seemed to influence behavioural performance were belonging to the only school that made site visits and increased the contact of students with nature. The qualitative results show that there is a potential to identify the goals of the program more clearly, including behavioural change, which is currently implicit. They also point that it is helpful to set a continuous evaluation program and better communication with the wider educative community. Another recommendation is the further professionalisation of the program school coordinator role to provide stability to its implementation.
I hope that these recommendations would lead to an increase in the behavioural performance of the program and, therefore, contribute to the solution of our current environmental issues.}},
author = {{Requena Carrion, Alicia}},
issn = {{1401-9191}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Learnings for Future}},
year = {{2019}},
}