In the state of Queensland, volunteers perform much of the work needed to prevent the extinction of threatened species who are native and unique to this continent. Acting from an understanding of interspecies justice, caring people rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of thousands of wild animals every year. Many of these same people conduct informal…

The need for well-designed learning experiences about modern, anthropogenic climate change is great. In light of this need, many scholars have looked towards museums, arguing that as trusted institutions of informal learning, museums are uniquely positioned to support public engagement with contentious, impactful issues like climate change.…

The time children spend indoors with nature-based children's literature is as important as the time they spend outdoors. Children's literature traditionally has been replete with pastoral, animal, and wilderness stories that nurture a sense of wonder and excitement about the world we share. Such literature encourages a high regard for the…

Nature journaling is a practice embedded within the principles of environmental education and experienced a resurgence as a therapeutic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using sociocultural theories of learning to understand when and how people learn in out-of-school, outdoor settings, this study explored the perceived benefits and learning…

Informal science learning centers (ISLCs) like zoos, aquariums and botanic gardens are trusted community assets and perceived as critical sites for learning outside the classroom for multigenerational learners. Moreover, their role in engaging the public in critical topics, such as climate change is widely recognized. As extreme weather events…

Recycling is a highly relevant issue in environmental behavior. To make it work, it is necessary to involve people. Many efforts have been made to increase people's participation in recycling. This study proposes an informal education to raise awareness among homemakers about recycling, especially aluminum packaging recycling, using workshops and…

The idea that sustainable buildings can be used as teaching tools for both formal and informal environmental education and sustainable building education (SBE) has gained attention in both research and practice. Evidence bases from existing studies show that buildings can engage their users in sustainability themes through architectural design,…

The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive effects of epistemological beliefs about science and informal reading of scientific texts on students' future-oriented optimism on the issue of climate change. Future-oriented climate change optimism is defined as encompassing "hope" and "anticipation" about the climate…

Internationally, academics and social organizations have emphasized the incorporation of the perspective of children and adolescents in the design, evaluation, and execution of environmental education activities. This study sought to identify those contextual factors that influence the implementation of participatory actions in environmental…

The growing negative impact of human activities increases the effect of climate change. People must adapt and change their behaviour and attitudes towards solving current environmental problems and preventing new ones. Non-formal education, such as educational workshops on environmental topics, could give results in the short term. In this…

Energy literacy is a developing field of research and practice that provides a comprehensive way of understanding how energy functions in the universe, on the earth, and in our social and personal lives. This literature review, building on an increasing momentum of research across various disciplines, outlines current energy literacy scholarship…

Purpose: This study aims to explore interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary interactions around sustainability, focusing on the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). By using the city as an informal learning space, it presents a case study to raise SDG awareness, promote interdisciplinarity, foster critical thinking and empower…

Informal learning supports formal education by facilitating students' learning and helping them to expand their knowledge outside the classroom. This paper explores the impact of informal learning environments on learning outcomes. This study aims to answer the question 'How does the use of informal learning environments within the scope of formal…

We investigated youth participation in three Community and Citizen Science (CCS) programs led by natural history museums in out-of-school settings. Using second generation Activity Theory, we looked at repeated participation over time, collecting and then qualitatively analyzing ethnographic fieldnote observations on focal youth participation and…

Today, the understanding of environmental concerns is of great significance, making it desirable for children to investigate the scientific concepts underlying a growing list of emerging environmental issues. This paper deals with young children's preconceptions. The authors have stressed the importance of investigating children's ideas at an…