1. Effectiveness of Guided Nature Walk:
Areas for Improvement to Enhance Environmental Knowledge among Learners
Presented by:
Dr. Noor Azlin Yahya
Ecotourism & Urban Forestry Programme
Azyyati, A.K., Noor Azlin, Y., Fatin Amalina, A. H., Naimah, C.L & Nur Suriani, S.
 Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), 52109, Kepong, Selangor,
Malaysia

2. INTRODUCTION
Since the 1990’s, FRIM received numerous school trips that experience nature-based activities either through day-trip or over- night activities.
FRIM provides various opportunities for nature related outdoor activities for visitors especially school students:
guided walk along FRIM’s nature trails
guided walk to FRIM’s canopy walkway
environmental education activities
team building ect.
camping at the camp site (Perah camp)

3. FRIM FRIM HISTORY Year Trees planted 1927 - 1930 372,471 1931 - 1935
220,025
150,178
20,429
125,000
46,481
71,944

4. FRIM TODAY

5. FRIM VISITORS

6. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
In 2015, 10,297 school student visited FRIM and experienced various nature-based activities. Students may be involved in one or more activities.
Percentage of involvement of school students in nature-based activities at FRIM

7. OBJECTIVES
Guided walk along nature trails is the most common activities at FRIM.
Should be utilized as a tool to increase student’s knowledge and awareness on the environment.
Form an interesting component for environmental education.
This study was conducted to:
To evaluate the environmental knowledge and attitude of school students after undergoing nature guided walk activity in FRIM
To identify areas for improvements of the guided walk contents

8. METHODOLOGY
In this study, model of Children’s Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Scale (CHEAKS) by Leeming et al., were employed and section of Knowledge were modified to fit the FRIM’s nature guided walk contents.
CHEAKS
Knowledge
Plants*
Animal*
Deforestation*
Recycling*
Pollution*
Attitude
Verbal Commitment
Actual Commitment
Affect on Empathy
Conceptual Framework that modified from the Theoretical Model of CHEAKS

9. METHODOLOGY
Based on the contents of guided walk activities delivered by FRIM’s nature guide, the questionnaire for school student was designed based on CHEAKS model.
The questionnaire consisted of:
SECTION A: Students Background
SECTION B: Knowledge on Forest and the Environment
SECTION C: Attitude towards
Nature and the Environment
SECTION D: Students’ Emotion

10. METHODOLOGY
Pre-test and post-test questionnaire survey sessions: 1 June–31 October
Pre-test questionnaire distributed at school with help of school teacher 2 days prior to the guided walk
Post-test was distributed once they completed the guided walk in FRIM.
Involvement: 260 school students from 5 schools.
Students formed 13 groups of guided walk, 20 person/group with 1 nature guide

11. RESULTS
Student Background
Gender
Ethnics
Age

12. RESULTS Student Background
About 90.9% students rated the scale of 6 to 10, where 48.7% students have extreme level of excitement once they knew about their school trip to forested area of FRIM.
1% students were feeling unhappy and 8% have neutral feeling.
Neutral
Figure 3: Percentage of student with emotion scale of 0 to 10 once
they know about their trip to the forest/FRIM

13. Attitude towards Nature and Environment
RESULTS
Attitude towards Nature and Environment
Eighteen (18) statements comprising sub-sections of a) verbal commitment, b) actual commitment and c) affect on empathy
Five scales of optional answers used
Example of the statement:
I’ll be more careful when walking, therefore I won’t step on the creatures on the ground.
Strongly Not Agree
Not Agree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree

14. Attitude towards Nature and the Environment
RESULTS
Attitude towards Nature and the Environment
The result showed most of them are in neutral to agree mode (Likert scale of 3.50 to 4.00) towards verbal and actual action statements .
There is improvement of attitude on verbal commitment and actual commitment but no improvement on self empathy.
*Likert scale: 5: Strongly agree, 4: Agree, 3: Neutral, 2: Not Agree, 1: Strongly Not Agree

15. Knowledge on Forest and the Environment
RESULTS
Knowledge on Forest and the Environment
Sixteen (16) questions with topics of plants, animals, deforestation, recycle and pollution.
Four optional answers a given.
Example of question:
Which activity are not disturbing wildlife in the forest?
a) Illegal hunting
b) Feed wildlife
c) Observing the wildlife (correct answer)
d) Taking an animal ‘s off-spring
Total score for environmental knowledge is 16 points based on one point for each correct answer.

16. Knowledge on Forest and the Environment
RESULTS
Knowledge on Forest and the Environment
The study found that current respondent’s knowledge on forest and nature issues is at medium level.
Less than 70% of the respondents able to answer correctly on the close ended questions except on topic of ‘recycling’ (Pre: 79.87% and Post: 74.17%).
In post survey, the percentages of correct answers in each topics were decreased 2% to 5%. The results are perhaps influenced by several internal and external factors that need to be considered.

17. Students’ Emotion (Post-visit)
RESULTS
Students’ Emotion (Post-visit)
Tired but happy
Inspired to know about natural resources
Obtain a lot of knowledge
Increased love for the environment
Improved health

18. CONCLUSION
Most students associated the nature walk with “happy” or “fun” experience.  
For component of attitude, nature walk improved “Verbal Commitment” and “Actual Commitment” but not “Effect on Empathy”.
Not effective for environmental knowledge as aspired to and needs much improvement.
Could be influenced by several internal and external factors.
Guided nature walks are conducted in an environment that has many distractions, effective methods should be employed to ensure that learners capture the environmental message.

19. RECOMMENDATION
Environmental interpretation method is suggested to be used to improve delivery for environmental education.

20. ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION
What is Environmental Interpretation?
ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION
“an educational activity, which aims to reveal meanings and relationship through the use of original objects, by firsthand experience and illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate factual information”
Freeman Tilden

21. ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION
Conservation communication to the various segments of people
Serves as a knowledge bridge to achieve important objectives, which are educational, emotional and behavioural change
Attractive and convey messages interesting enough to sustain audience’s concentration

22. ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION
FRIM to increase interpretational materials

23. Thank you…