Identifying Outcomes

Outcomes in

A systematic process that critically examines a program's merit, worth or significance by collecting and analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. The goal is to improve the program's effectiveness, and/or to inform programming decisions (Patton, 2001).

Welcome to the eeVAL outcomes page! 

Outcomes are measurable

Indicators are measures that demonstrate whether a goal has been achieved. We rely on indicators in everyday life. For example, if you have a goal to lose weight and improve your overall health, you may measure success using indicators such as the number of pounds lost, a change in your body mass index, lowered cholesterol, or even an increase in your perceived energy level. In an evaluation context, indicators provide the information needed to answer the evaluation questions. 

of that help you know whether and to what degree your program is accomplishing its goals. Clearly articulating your program goals and measurable outcomes is an important step in the evaluation process. Identifying program goals and outcomes alongside key program partners can increase the relevance of your programming (See Process B and the values Authentic Engagement and Deep Curiosity).  

Environmental education showcases many different types of outcomes. There are no “right” outcomes. The best outcomes are ones that align best with your project. Below are examples of outcomes that are most commonly measured. However, this list is by no means complete. As with all of eeVAL, this list of outcomes is a “living” project that evolves as evaluation becomes more inclusive of the voices and experiences of persons who currently hold least

The ability to influence others and impose one's beliefs. All power is relational and unequally distributed globally and in society. Some individuals/ groups hold greater power than others, gaining them greater access to resources (Racial Equity Tools, 2020).

among us (e.g., youth, practitioners, non-degree holders, members of non-dominant cultural groups).

Keep in mind that many programs have multiple goals; you could measure multiple outcomes for a single program. Furthermore, some outcomes are complex and using multiple different methods may be appropriate. One instrument may not be enough to evaluate all your desired program goals and outcomes. Sometimes you might rely on

A standardized method of collecting data that consists of questions and responses. Questions can be "open-ended", but often take the form of being "close-ended" where respondents choose from predetermined answers (Frechtling, 2010).

coupled with

Combine both interviewing and participant observation. A focus group is not a discussion, problem-solving, or decision-making group. However, focus groups do capitalize on group dynamics to generate data and insights that would be unlikely to emerge otherwise (Frechtling, 2010).

,

A method of data collection that values interpersonal contact and assumes participant perspectives are meaningful, knowable, and can be made explicit (Frechtling, 2010).

, or participatory methods (see eeVAL Process C) to deepen your understanding about how your programs are working, what your participants are learning, and what you might want to change.

Once you know which outcomes you want to measure, you can start using the Tool Library to find a tool that works for your program. This library offers a set of tools that a team of evaluation professionals determined could be helpful as environmental educators evaluate their programs.

Click here to visit eeVAL Tool Library.

Unsure what outcomes your program is working towards? 

Revisit Process A and B for more information on developing grounding knowledge in your evaluation. In determining outcomes, you might look at your mission statement - what defines your organization? If you have a

A logic model shows the rationale behind your program. It is a graphic representation of the linkages between program goals, resources (inputs), activities, and expected outcomes. Logic models illustrate the ways in which program inputs and activities are thought to lead to outputs and outcomes in both the short and long term. Logic models often include diagrams or pictures that illustrate these relationships. In program evaluation, logic models provide a basis for developing evaluation strategies. Depending on the scale of your project, you might need more than one logic model. Click here for what a logic model can look like. (Zint, n.d.).

for your program, you have listed short, medium, and long-term outcomes. Are they reflected in the list below? You might want to factor in what is realistic given the

Refers to time, money, and other in-kind resources.

you have available for evaluation. Also consider working with staff and other

"Anyone who cares about and/ or is affected by a decision or outcome of a program, project, or initiative."

to consider what outcomes are important to participants. The information below can help lead you to the appropriate outcome. Remember, you can measure more than one in each program, and you may need more than one tool to measure each! 

Read the descriptions below to help you determine what outcome you want to measure, and then on the Tool Library page, you can sort the tools by the outcome you chose. 

• If your program is trying to get your participants to connect with a local habitat or identify with a particular geography, you might want to measure their

  The personal, meaningful relationships that people have with places (Stedman, 2002). This relationship can be impacted by the psychological, sociocultural, biophysical, and political-economic dimensions of a place (Ardoin, 2014, p. 427).

  . Similarly, if your program is helping people deeply experience, identify with, and appreciate nature in general, you might assess

  The way people identify with predominantly natural landscapes and the relationships they form with the elements in those environments (Restall & Conrad, 2015).

  .
• Many programs seek to provide information and increase learner’s

  Knowledge and awareness about the environment and environmental problems, and how to solve those environmental problems. Environmental knowledge can take the form of systems knowledge: knowledge about ecosystem processes and environmental problems; action-related knowledge: actions someone can take to address environmental problems and effectiveness knowledge, knowing which behaviors and actions can best address an environmental issue (Krasny, 2020).

  . This might be information that is specific to your program, facility, and experience, or you might want to enhance general environmental thinking and learning skills.

  An environmentally literate person [is] someone who, both individually and together with others, makes informed decisions concerning the environment; is willing to act on these decisions to improve the well-being of other individuals, societies, and the global environment; and participates in civic life (Hollweg et al., 2011).

  is closely connected to environmental knowledge, but also includes attitudes and behaviors, which are listed here as separate outcomes.
• Some programs wish to support a positive environmental

  A positive or negative evaluation of something. Environmental educators are interested in many different environmental attitudes that people may have. A few of these include attitudes toward nature, animals, built environments, environmental problems, environmental policies, and environmental behaviors. Attitudes can be some degree of positive, negative, or indifferent (Marcinkowski, 1993; Milfont, 2012).

   by helping learners care about the

  The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates, especially as affected by human activity; its ethical, social, cultural, and economic dimensions also play a part (Environment, 2018; Tbilisi Declaration, 1977).

  or wildlife. These attitudes are the product of positive and negative judgments with what learners believe is true. Be careful to distinguish attitudes from values. Environmental values are broader and deeper than attitudes, and are often culturally determined guiding principles. Values are not easily changed with educational programs, and are rarely an objective or outcome. 
• If your program is influencing participants’ activities, such as limiting their purchase of single-use plastics, you probably want to measure their

  Behaviours with an intention to benefit the environment or to minimize negative impacts on the environment. Environmental behaviours often refer to personal and individual actions. For information related to collective action on environmental behaviours see the Environmental Action outcome definition (Stern, 2020; Kollmus & Agyeman, 2002).

  . Sometimes you can measure actual behaviors, such as through observation. Sometimes you settle for participants' self-reported behaviors. Some behaviors are in the future and/or difficult to observe, but you can measure intention (typically another self-reported form of data). Programs could also affect

  “Intentional and conscious civic behaviors that are focused on systemic causes of environmental problems and the promotion of environmental sustainability through collective efforts” (Alisat & Riemer, 2015, p. 14). This includes low-level participatory civic action such as becoming informed and participating in community events to high level and leadership actions such as organizing an event or running for office. It is important to identify collective actions at the community level since so many environmental problems are anchored in society (Jensen & Schnack, 1997).

  , which are in a different outcome category to better draw attention to the motivation people have for learning, collecting data, and working for change at the

  Can be geographically based (neighborhoods, towns, cities, etc.) or based on interest, identity, culture, belief, profession, etc. In environmental education community is often thought of as a system of systems including both natural, social, and economic systems (NAAEE, 2017).

  A set of numbers or symbols used to represent characteristics of a variable in measurement (Vogt, 2005).

  .
• You may want to measure outcomes that are commonly discussed in formal education circles that environmental education can support. For example, you may wish to measure youth participants'

  Considering both youth assets (such as self-efficacy, pro-social norms, meaningful relationships, and social and moral competence, and the characteristics of settings that enable youth to develop those assets. Researchers have identified 5 C’s of positive youth development: competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring; and with these skills youth also are more likely to contribute to community and civil society, thus developing the sixth C which is contribution (Eccles & Gootman, 2002; Lerner et al., 2015).

  , or their

  A broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits that are believed to be critically important to success in today’s world. 21st century skills reflect a broad and ever changing list, but include skills such as critical thinking, research skills, creativity, self-direction, communication, collaboration, technological knowledge, social-justice literacy, and more. Learn more at this site. (Great Schools Partnership, 2013)

  development. These skills could include systems thinking as well as critical thinking, problem solving, and group process skills. Similarly, you may wish to strengthen learners’ self-

  Efficacy can be divided into self efficacy and collective efficacy. In self efficacy the focus is on the indidivuals’ belief in their ability to succeed or accomplish a task, whereas in collective efficacy, the focus is on the groups’ belief that they can succeed and accomplish a task, or that the group has the capacity to succeed (Krasny, 2020).

  by teaching a skill and giving them a chance to practice it. 
• Your program may be designed to affect

  Changes that would become apparent at scales greater than a five year time period. Community changes can refer to systems type of changes (such as community engagement, civic action, capacity building) and/or environmental types of changes (such as biodiversity or ecosystem health). 

  in the community. These might be ecosystem changes, such as improving water quality or wildlife habitat, or changes associated with environmental action, community resilience, or

  "[T]he fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Fair treatment means no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies." (EPA, n.d.)

  . It may be possible to identify indicators that are associated with these goals, and to monitor them over time through program evaluation. 
• You may be curious to know the level of participant

  “Engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that [learners] show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education” (Great Schools Partnership, 2016). Engagement can be with students, with the teaching, with learning, in research, with educators, and/or with the community (Groccia & Hunter, 2012).

  in your programs and curriculum. This could measure how interested they are in an activity or general interest in science or science careers. 

Note on the Outcomes Listed Here

This is not a list of all possible outcomes relevant to EE programming, but rather outcomes that are frequently found in ​​environmental education, and that you can use as a starting point for your organization to think about what EE outcomes are important to you. Some of these may resonate with you, some may not, and what is important to your organization may not even be on this list. Our

Believing that you can achieve a goal and taking action to meet those goals (Szczytko et al., 2019).

is that this list starts you thinking about outcomes. 

To create this list, a group of EE practitioners, researchers, and evaluators got together to think about what EE organizations might evaluate. We started with the list of EE outcomes from Krasny (2020) in “Advancing Environmental Education Practice”, then examined similar and additional outcomes used by four

Collective evaluation extends evaluation accomplished in networked improvement communities, adding that the networked organizations share those components beyond the network for learning and improvement in the field at large (Clark et al., in prep).

efforts in EE (all four collective EE networks are located in the US). We highlighted outcomes that as a group we thought would be relevant to EE practitioners (not necessarily EE research), and highlighted some new voices and emerging practices. Holding true to the CREE process, we followed an iterative and collective process. We know other outcomes will start to emerge as ideas change and more EE voices are included, and we are excited to see this list grow and evolve over time.  

Understanding the outcomes that are important for your organization can help your organization monitor these outcomes, and ultimately move towards your version of success. Please note, we offer examples and definitions for you to think broadly -- deciding on outcomes for your organization will mean bringing diverse voices to your EE table, and working together to understand where you want to go and how you want to get there. You will not identify a perfect outcome, but if your process of understanding outcomes includes your community, and viewpoints from partners, then you are working towards CREE.