Scientific engagement within informal and transformative learning environments in a global context

Background/Question/Methods

Education is one of the largest contributors to society having a functional and positive understanding of preservation, utilization, and sustaining varying ecosystems on multiple levels.  Informal learning, global citizenship, and transformative learning are all tools that contribute greatly to the way in which students process and develop complex understandings.  The Pennsylvania State University’s Parks and People program is a study abroad opportunity that examines conservation and ecosystem management, community livelihoods, and interactions between nature and society within the context of these learning tools.  Students completed written reflections based on their experiences after spending one week teaching, mentoring, and interacting within rural schools of Eastern Cape, South Africa.  Our objective was to use the analysis of these written reflections to make connections with the aforementioned learning tools and the manner in which individuals can progress through a framework which suggests iterative feedback loops of reflection and engagement, combining both individual and group learning, that is critical for active engagement.

Results/Conclusions

The results of the written reflections demonstrated that, on an individual level, 83% of the participants had a moderate to severe level of stress and anxiety derived from teacher/student interactions, physical learning environment, and lack of educational material in support of their activities.  Coupled with the community learning environment of the Parks and People program, students were able to qualitatively examine this experience in a contextual format, integrating and assessing social, political, and economical influences on their individual experience.  We conclude that students are likely to progress at different rates through the learning cycle and to be at different stages in the transformative learning cycling when involved in engagement activities.  Thus, flexibility for students to engage in informal learning at individual as well as small-group levels – a key component of the Parks and People programmatic structure - may further facilitate acquisition of contextual global citizenship skills.  Critical to this success is awareness of students’ progress through the learning cycling for optimizing student engagement in challenging international settings. This approach may be particularly useful in complimenting informal education research within global context as well as promoting multiple benefits of experiential study abroad programs.