The effects of citizen science projects on students environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors

The focus of this study is to determine if involvement in a water quality based citizen science project promotes changes in environmental attitudes, behaviors, and content specific knowledge. Previous studies conducted by Brossard, Hines, Hungerford & Volk, Schindler, etc were consulted along with local watershed district administrators and fellow educators. Students enrolled in a high school Environmental Studies course completed a survey before and after partaking in a citizen science based project. The results show that there was a positive change in the environmental attitudes and behaviors of the participants while there was no significant change in the level of water quality based knowledge of those involved. The involvement in citizen science projects does promote an overall change in environmentally responsible behaviors but the longevity of these changes remains to be fully determined