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| ID | Type | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 435-2022-0651 | Other Grant/Funding Number | Social Sciences and Humanity Research Council (Canada) |
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The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to learn if an outdoor science education intervention can improve primary school students' learning and well-being when compared to an indoor classroom-based science education intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Participants will:
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor science education | Experimental | 2h of outdoor science education intervention per week for a total of 5 weeks (following Québec's mandatory curriculum) |
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| Indoor classroom-based science education | Active Comparator | 2h of indoor science education intervention per week for a total of 5 weeks (following Québec's mandatory curriculum) |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor science education | Behavioral | Following Québec's mandatory curriculum, primary school teachers will provide life science lessons 2h/week for a total of 5 weeks in an outdoor setting |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Score on the Scientific Observation Skills Rubric (0-15) in a Novel Environmental Context | Students' scientific observation skills will be assessed using a structured observation rubric designed for elementary science education. After the 5-week intervention, each student will spend one day in a new environmental context (field activity at the end of October). Students will be asked to make a total of five oral observations of living organisms in this setting. Independent raters, trained in the use of the rubric, will evaluate the quality of each scientific observation using a four-level scoring framework, with scores ranging from 0 (lowest) to 3 (highest quality of scientific observation). The total score will range from 0 to 15, with higher scores indicating stronger scientific observation skills. Inter-rater agreement will be monitored to ensure reliability. | After the 5-week intervention has ended, students will spend one day in a new environmental context (at the end of October) in order to make observations |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Connection to nature - Score on the Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale (0-7) | Students' connection to nature will be assessed using the Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale (Schultz, 2001, as used in Braun & Dierkes, 2016), a validated 1-item self-report questionnaire appropriate for culturally and ethnically diverse samples of children. The item is rated on a 7-point scale (1 = nature and self do not overlap at all to 7 = nature and self completely overlap). The total score ranges from 0 to 7, with higher scores indicating a stronger subjective connection to nature. The Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale will be administered at baseline and again immediately after the 5-week intervention. |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriela Quintela Do Carmo | Contact | 803-477-7554 | quig1988@usherbrooke.ca | |
| Jean-Philippe Ayotte-Beaudet | Contact | 514-999-6647 | jean-philippe.ayotte-beaudet@usherbrooke.ca |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Jean-Philippe Ayotte-Beaudet, PhD | Université de Sherbrooke | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Montreal area (Laval, Longueuil, Montreal) | Recruiting | Montreal | Quebec | Canada |
Due to ethical considerations and to protect participant confidentiality, no de-identified individual participant data will be made available. Only aggregate results will be published.
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The science education intervention consists of teaching Québec's mandatory science curriculum, focusing on life science topics and issues.
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| Indoor classroom-based science education | Behavioral | Following Québec's mandatory curriculum, primary school teachers will provide life science lessons 2h/week for a total of 5 weeks inside the classroom |
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| At baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention has ended |
| Score on the Perceived Stress Scale for Children (PSS-C; range 0-39) | Students' perceived stress will be assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale for Children (PSS-C), which is a standardized 13-item self-report questionnaire previously tested on a sample of Canadian children (White, 2014). Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale (0 = never to 3 = a lot). Scores are summed to produce a total ranging from 0 to 39, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress. The questionnaire will be administered in class at baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention. | At baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention has ended |
| Score on the 11-item Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS-13; range 0-33) | Students' eco-anxiety will be assessed using the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS-13; Hogg et al., 2021), a validated 11-item self-report questionnaire. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale (0 = never to 3 = almost every day). Scores are summed to produce a total ranging from 0 to 33, with higher scores indicating greater subjective feelings of eco-anxiety. The HEAS-13 will be administered in class at baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention. | At baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention has ended |
| Score on the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale - School Version (range 0-36) | Students' satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs identified by Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) will be assessed with a 9-item version of the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale, adapted for children. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = almost never to 4 = almost always). Total scores range from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction of basic psychological needs. | Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention |