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The effectiveness of environmental education workshops for teachers, learners and schools in Malaysia

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Abstract

In Malaysia, various efforts have been introduced to increase the knowledge, skills and awareness of citizens to the benefit of the environment by means of a variety of programmes. However, uncertainty about the effectiveness of environmental education programmes and the way they contribute to sustainability still exists. This paper reports on an evaluation of the Kelab Pencinta Alam (KPA) (School Nature Clubs) programme organised by the Malaysia Nature Society and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia. The Kellogg Logic Model was used as an evaluative instrument as the impact of the programme had to be determined. This was done through questionnaires to teachers and principals in KPA schools. School visits were also undertaken to evaluate workplace success and to validate the findings from the questionnaires. Overall, the evaluation showed a high level of success for the programme.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for the programmes was sourced from the Timber Levy Fund of the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Malaysia, which is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are also indebted to many FRIM and Malaysian Nature Society staff for information and field assistance.

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Correspondence to Callie Loubser.

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Loubser, C., Noor Azlin, Y., Dreyer, J. et al. The effectiveness of environmental education workshops for teachers, learners and schools in Malaysia. Environ Dev Sustain 16, 1163–1176 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-014-9518-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-014-9518-9

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