Jensen, Eric (2014) Evaluating children's conservation biology learning at the zoo. Conservation Biology, 28 (4). pp. 1004-1011. doi:10.1111/cobi.12263 ISSN 0888-8892.

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Abstract

Millions of children visit zoos every year with parents or schools to encounter wildlife firsthand. Public conservation education is a requirement for membership in professional zoo associations. However, in recent years zoos have been criticized for failing to educate the public on conservation issues and related biological concepts, such as animal adaptation to habitats. I used matched pre- and postvisit mixed methods questionnaires to investigate the educational value of zoo visits for children aged 7–15 years. The questionnaires gathered qualitative data from these individuals, including zoo-related thoughts and an annotated drawing of a habitat. A content analysis of these qualitative data produced the quantitative data reported in this article. I evaluated the relative learning outcomes of educator-guided and unguided zoo visits at London Zoo, both in terms of learning about conservation biology (measured by annotated drawings) and changing attitudes toward wildlife conservation (measured using thought-listing data). Forty-one percent of educator-guided visits and 34% of unguided visits resulted in conservation biology-related learning. Negative changes in children's understanding of animals and their habitats were more prevalent in unguided zoo visits. Overall, my results show the potential educational value of visiting zoos for children. However, they also suggest that zoos’ standard unguided interpretive materials are insufficient for achieving the best outcomes for visiting children. These results support a theoretical model of conservation biology learning that frames conservation educators as toolmakers who develop conceptual resources to enhance children's understanding of science.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Zoos -- Educational aspects, Conservation biology, London Zoo (London, England), Children's drawings
Journal or Publication Title:	Conservation Biology
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
ISSN:	0888-8892
Official Date:	August 2014
Dates:	Date Event August 2014 Published 29 March 2014 Available 9 November 2013 Accepted 3 November 2013 Submitted
Volume:	28
Number:	4
Page Range:	pp. 1004-1011
DOI:	10.1111/cobi.12263
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit:	5 October 2017
Date of first compliant Open Access:	5 October 2017

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