Coverage of heritage and archeology in formal education is typically limited. These subjects are typically taught through specific and anecdotal activities that do not respond to a specific methodological foundation. School-museum relationships offer numerous benefits for design participation experiences with long-term perspectives in conducting…

Over the past three decades, virtual tours have been used in many contexts. In educational settings, virtual tours have been used to replace on-site field trips, which can be difficult to execute due to a variety of logistical concerns. While virtual tours are widely used, there is limited research pertaining to their use in food and agricultural…

Environmental education and interpretive facilities in Texas were surveyed to determine how a state education reform bill affected their attendance, management, and programing. Findings indicated that attendance declined during the 12 months following the passage of legislation. Programing and management changes were made to adapt to the bill.…

Addresses the relationship of fear to certain outdoor adventure activities that are a part of some environmental education programs. Describes the construct of fear, its use in outdoor environmental programs, and the results of two recent studies on fear. (TW)

Reports on a study of the use of museums by 541 middle and high school art education specialists. Finds that art specialists see the art museum as important to supplement classroom instruction in study work and art history. Includes four tables of data and recommendations for enhancing the use of museums by art educators. (CFR)

Presented is an investigation of the effectiveness of in-school preparation regarding a field trip to an outdoor education site. Methods, instrument development, and results for the research questions are discussed. (CW)

An ethnographic study of spontaneous conversations of elementary children and their accompanying adults during a zoo field trip was conducted. (LZ)

An important aspect of Japanese schooling is the attention given to class management and student guidance, particularly at the elementary and lower secondary levels. The Japanese school curriculum for the elementary and the lower secondary schools consists of three areas: (1) regular subjects; (2) moral education; and (3) special activities. The…

Provides a thorough overview of the origins, objectives, and implementation of nature study in elementary education in England. Tracks the activities and efforts of the School Nature Study Union (established 1903). Although influential in London, the Union never established a national presence and ended operations in 1994. (MJP)

Reports on a study to determine the use of outdoor resources in the teaching of natural science in secondary schools, and to obtain suggestions from science teachers for increasing and improving the use of outdoor resources. Results indicated 16 percent of classes do not study science outdoors. (TW)

Advocates that geography teachers undertake field studies of human systems with their students. Describes a learning process in which teachers take students to a human system (supermarket, hotel) and guide them through exploration and analysis of the system with the goal of building skills that can transfer to other geographic tasks. (MJP)

Describes the development and implementation of an interdisciplinary field course in Costa Rica focused on sustainable development. The semester-long curriculum integrated sociology, political economy, and agricultural ecology. The curriculum was empirically based and involved faculty members and students working collaboratively on different…

Reports on student attitudes toward science-technology-society (STS) after visiting a science-technology museum and considers what variable factors of the visitation impacted these attitudes. Results indicated that significant differences in attitudes were present between visiting and nonvisiting students and between grade levels. (TW)

Continues an article from an earlier issue that reported on a study of memorable social studies activities experienced by college students when they were in elementary schools. Finds that activity-oriented instruction was remembered most positively. (CFR)

Cognitive learning related to the environment has typically been subsumed as a part of instruction in the more traditional areas of the secondary school curriculum, in particular in science and/or social studies classes. This digest contains a review of a number of studies dealing with cognitive learning in the environment, investigating the…