Environmental science educational field trips at outdoor settings are frequently chosen by elementary education teachers to enhance student learning of science. Specific factors that affect the quality of the educational program are the focus of this study and include the site’s physical characteristics (habitat type and associated plants and animals) and the instructional quality of the field trips. A multi-site case study method was used to develop rich descriptions of the habitat quality and pedagogy of field trips at two different environmental science sites in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Both sites are located on properties adjacent to rivers with wetland and forested areas accessed during field trip educational activities. The overarching question for this study was: How do the habitat characteristics of the site and pedagogical design of the field trip affect student experience during the field trip? The aim of the study is to develop an understanding of the importance of the field trip site characteristics and pedagogy to the student experience and learning about environmental science.

Results/Conclusions

Field trips for schools occur predominantly during spring and fall, with seasonal and abundance of rainfall effects evident in type and number of plants and animals observed during field trips. At Site A, the field trip consists of a walk-through the different habitats at the site led by an expert naturalist, with hands-on activities designed to facilitate development of science process skills in participants. Activities are designed by the site educator in conjunction with the classroom teacher's expectations and goals for the field trip. The students interacted with an expert naturalist (the site educator), who modeled science process skills throughout the field trip. At Site B, students rotated in small groups through “hands-on” learning centers where different aspects of river ecology were addressed. Students used microscopes, water quality measuring equipment and sein nets. Small group dynamics enabled discussion among the students and with the volunteer leaders, whose expertise in the subject matter varied widely. Site characteristics are more important at Site A due to the importance of chance encounters with wildlife in the vicinity of vernal ponds, wetlands, streams and forested trails. At Site B, the broad science concepts addressed during the “hands-on” activities could be located anywhere along an accessible river. The experience of science process skills at both sites contributed to student understanding of science in general, with environmental science related to the habitat characteristics.