The effect of visitor motivation on the success of environmental education at the Toronto Zoo
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12526142 |
|---|---|
| Authors | James G W Schultz (University of Toronto, corresponding author), Steve Joordens (0000-0002-7914-700X, The Scarborough Hospital) |
| Year | 2013 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 753-775 |
| Publication date | 2013-10-17 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Education Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1350-4622 • E-ISSN: 1469-5871 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13504622.2013.843646 |
| OpenAlex | W2064686803 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
| References cited | 34 |
With the number and scope of environmental challenges continuing to increase, an understanding of the effectiveness of conservation programs is essential in order to allocate limited resources. This paper examines the effectiveness of environmental education within a zoo setting, focusing on the role of learners’ identity-related motivation. Results from survey (n = 296) and interview (n = 116) data collected from visitors to the Toronto Zoo suggest that education success is dependent on visitors’ dominant motivation, with preliminary data suggesting that Spiritual Pilgrims and Experience Seekers demonstrate greater gains in knowledge of environmental issues compared with Facilitators. Given that most zoo visitors fell into this Facilitator group, this finding may have an effect on future zoo management decisions. We would also like to thank Dr Roberta Fulthorpe from the University of Toronto for her guidance during the development of this study, and Dr George Arhonditsis for his enthusiastic support and input. Finally, we extend our thanks to Dr John Falk and Dr Joe Heimlich for providing us with the 20-question tool they had developed for the determination of visitors’ identity-based motivations
Environmental education · Facilitator · Medical education · Outdoor education · Pedagogy · Political science · Public relations · Seekers · Sociology · Visitor pattern · Animal and Plant Science Education · Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology
Metrics and outcomes of conservation education
How do visitors relate to biodiversity conservation? An analysis of London Zoo’s ‘Bugs’ exhibit
Visitors’ informal conservation learning
Incorporating personal experience in free-choice environmental learning
Using Values-Based Focus Groups to Evaluate Visitors’ Perceptions and Interpretation of a Wildlife Exhibit
Implantation d'une nouvelle approche éducative visant l'engagement environnemental des citoyens. Biodôme, Espace pour la vie
Penguin Promises
Facilitating zoo/aquarium visitors' adoption of environmentally sustainable behaviour
Species at risk in Ontario
The role of accredited zoos in the recovery process for species at risk in Canada
Visitor Perceptions of Nature Conservation at Helsinki Zoo
Beyond Predictions
Exploring Satisfying Experiences in Museums
Flow
The theory of planned behavior
False-Positive Psychology
Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera
Negotiating the Complexities of Environmental Education
Dialogue and Synthesis
Towards A Contextual Turn in Visitor Studies
Contextualizing Falk's Identity-Related Visitor Motivation Model
Evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of biodiversity conservation spending
Education and Conservation
Using tourism free‐choice learning experiences to promote environmentally sustainable behaviour
Mind the Gap
Identity Affirmation through Leisure Activities
Undermining children's intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
In Pursuit of Knowledge
| Citations per year | 1.1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2016 - 2025 (10) |
| Highly cited | No |