A description of adult environmental education programs in residential environmental education centers: Their use of experiential learning theory and environmental citizenship concepts

The purpose of this study is to (a) describe the characteristics of adult environmental education programs at residential environmental education (EE) centers, particularly environmental citizenship (EC) programs, (b) identify and describe how theory is being incorporated into practice in these adult EC programs, and (c) synthesize literature and research findings from this study into a guidebook on developing adult EC programs for residential adult EE practitioners.; The research design is a case study using mixed quantitative/qualitative methods. Quantitative data describing the characteristics of adult EE programs, particularly environmental citizenship programs were collected for the first phase of the study through an e-mail questionnaire sent to the adult EE program managers at 26 residential EE centers. The studied adult program managers offer multiple adult programs, characterized as multi-day field trips or workshops funded primarily by participant fees. The managers identified seven barriers to offering adult EE programs; managers with EC programs identified experiential learning theory (ELT) as their theoretical framework and mostly address environmental awareness and ecology in their programs.; Qualitative data describing theory/practice relationships in the adult EC programs were collected for phase two of the study using in-depth semi-structured interviews with five of the adult EE program managers. The studied program managers' familiarity with the constructs of experiential learning theory varied from very little to a considerable amount. They use it because it is the theoretical framework they are most familiar with and it lends a professional aura to the EE profession. They report incorporating the ELT constructs in their design of curriculum, teaching methods and delivery systems. However, they report that much of the theory literature in their field is hard to understand; they don't have time to adequately incorporate theory into practice, and they lack training about applying theory to practice.; Phase three of this study synthesizes research findings in phase one and two with research literature on adult learning, adult education, and environmental citizenship into a guidebook on developing adult environmental citizenship programs for residential adult EE practitioners.