Program evaluation frameworks that assess organizations as complex adaptive systems can open our eyes to new approaches and understandings. The proposed iterative and adaptive developmental program evaluation framework interrelates developmental evaluation principles with adaptive action approaches. We explain and demonstrate the framework with a…

Regular evaluation of environmental education is important for quality assurance and the self-assessment of educational institutions such as zoos. However, capacity is often lacking. Therefore, this study presents instruments that can be used to track the impact of educational programs on connection to nature, interest in species conservation,…

Civic engagement in environmental issues creates opportunities for students to explore and combine interests in the environment and community action as well as to develop new perspectives related to social justice issues. This manuscript examines the outcomes of a yearlong eco-civic fellowship for undergraduates representing a variety of cultural…

Drawing on work from environmental education, evaluation, and practitioner research, this paper presents a discussion of programme evaluation practices from the practitioner's perspective. This discussion is informed by a meta-evaluation conducted on ten-years (2008-2018) of data collected from a suite of place-based learning programmes delivered…

We conducted a systematic literature review to analyze evaluations of conservation education programs on a global scale in order to better understand (1) temporal and spatial trends in conservation education program evaluations over the last 25 years, (2) patterns in the types of conservation-related issues addressed through these programs, (3)…

Research is needed on environmental and sustainability education (ESE) programs implemented by public administrations. This study expands knowledge on ESE policy and instrument evaluation. Following the theory of change approach, semi-quantitative analysis of the evaluation questionnaire was used to examine the principles (organizational culture)…

The experience of visiting a zoo as a child can be remembered decades later and potentially influences future environmental attitudes. In light of steadily growing criticism of the ethics and value of live animal shows, some zoos are seeking alternative means of delivering 'edutainment' to a broad audience. One such alternative is through theatre.…

Civic engagement is recognized as a critical process to address environmental and other societal issues. To examine the intersection between environmental education and civic engagement, as reported in the peer-reviewed literature, we undertook a systematic mixed studies review to identify environmental education program outcomes related to civic…

Evaluations of environmental education (EE) programmes and resources are becoming increasingly visible and important. While benefits accrue through evaluation, many programmes and resources have yet to realise these. Issues such as a lack of clear objectives, reliance on traditional, summative approaches and inattention to context have prevented…

While science-policy interfaces (SPIs) are argued to be crucial in developing and implementing effective public policy programmes, what happens in a particular SPI policy-research relationship remains under-researched, particularly in relation to 'success criteria' for policy makers and researchers. In this article, we address this gap by…

The importance of a safe climate for human health is recognised by healthcare professionals, who need to be equipped to deliver environmentally sustainable healthcare and promote the health of natural systems on which we depend. The inclusion of climate-health in Australian and New Zealand accredited master-level public health training and medical…

When implementing environmental education and interventions to promote one pro-environmental behavior, it is seldom asked if and how non-target pro-environmental behaviors are affected. The spillover effect proposes that engaging in one behavior affects the probability of engagement or disengaging in a second behavior. Therefore, the positive…

This paper focuses on our experience of researching the influence of ResourceSmart Schools, a sustainable schools programme in Victoria, Australia. Drawing on ideas from programme theory and realist synthesis, we illustrate and reflect upon our approach to conceptualising, investigating and generating evidence about the programme's…

An environmental education (EE) consortium located in the pacific northwest United States coalesced an external evaluation team to research its K-5 EE programming. The purpose of this article is to describe one phase of this program evaluation process including the exploration of adult stakeholder perceptions of EE programming accessed by 4th…

This study focuses on the impact of a sustainability leadership development program (SLDP) designed to develop staff members as leaders who encourage sustainability practices within institutions of higher education (IHE). Using the framework of community of practice (CoP), we explored the program's contribution by interviewing 16 staff members who…