Ecology versus Issue Interpretation: The Analysis of two Different Messages

An important goal for environmental interpretation is to attempt to change a constituent's knowledge, attitude, and/or behavior toward the park site and beyond. This study evaluated the impact of two different interpretive experiences on elementary students’ environmental knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Each program represented a major variable associated with the attitude/behavior change goals supported by interpreters. These programs were administered and evaluated during the 1995–96 school year at the Paul H. Douglas Environmental Education Center at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The first interpretive experience, offered during the fall, was dedicated to ecological information, whereas the second program was conducted in the spring and was based on environmental issues associated with the site. Results of this quantitative analysis show significant gains in knowledge and little impact on attitude/behavior. The authors recommend multiple research methods to better evaluate effect and behavior changes following an interpretive experience.