Pedagogical Dimensions and Environmental Attitudes in an Outdoor Recreation Course

ABSTRACT This study examined the relationship between learner involvement, outdoor recreation, grades and environmental attitudes. Specifically the study was of a collegiate level course entitled “Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Awareness.” The specific research questions addressed: 1. What are the interrelationships among college student perceptions of the pedagogical dimensions of a course, their grades and their environmental attitudes? 2. How do the aforementioned relationships vary with respect to students’ self-reported participation in outdoor recreation? 3. How do the aforementioned relationships vary with respect to selected demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, academic classification and academic major)? This study used exploratory correlation design to examine relationships between student perceptions of design variables (pedagogical dimensions) and cognitive outcomes, as indicated by course grades, and affective outcomes, as measured by environmental attitudes. In addition, the nature of relationships found was examined in light of several other variables