Why focus on zoo and aquarium education?

The influence of situational emotions on the intention for sustainable consumer behaviour in a student-centred intervention

“…Some studies show knowledge gain as influential in changing behaviour, although with mostly small effects (Fančovičová and Prokop 2011;Gotschi et al 2009;Kaiser, Wölfing, and Fuhrer 1999;Steg and Vlek 2009). Others find such an influence primarily derives from attitudes, intentions and/or behaviour (Kollmuss and Agyeman 2002;Ogden and Heimlich 2009;Schultz 2002b). Our results, with a small knowledge effect on environmentally friendly consumerism, lie somewhere in the middle.…”

Exploring the implications of cultural diversity for environmental learning at an African aquarium

“…Recent USA-based research into the topics studied by those facilities found that most visitor research (90%) still focuses on demographics and satisfaction, with 50% studying knowledge gains, 37% researching affective reactions to animals, and 37% studying visitors' intended conservation actions (Luebke & Grajal, 2011). Therefore, although the last 20 years have seen a substantial increase in research that investigates the visitor and the impact of a visit to a zoo or aquarium on visitors' short and longer term knowledge, behaviour and attitudes (Schram, 2011), the field is still in its infancy, with great potential for expansion (Hatchwell, Rubel, Dickie, West, & Zimmermann, 2007;Mason, 2000;Ogden & Heimlich, 2009). …”

“…Free-choice learning, that which occurs outside of formal education, is addressed in this study. In particular, the relationship between visitor characteristics and their environmental learning during a visit to an educational leisure setting remains an important focus area in the literature Khalil & Ardoin, 2011;Ogden & Heimlich, 2009). As learning outcomes represent the unique combination of what a visitor brings to a facility and their experiences while at the facility, it is clear that a better understanding of these factors is essential if learning through leisure experiences is to be optimised (Ardoin, Wheaton, Bowers, Hunt, & Durham, 2015;Falk, Ballantyne, Packer, & Benckendorff, 2012).…”

“…In particular, there remains much to learn about the impact of visitor characteristics, especially cultural diversity, on the processes of learning and decision making that occur during a visit, as well as the effect of the visit on visitors' subsequent environmental ethics and behaviours Ogden & Heimlich, 2009). As Serrell and Associates (2008) wisely noted, despite the best efforts, a zoo or aquarium cannot change the visitor, they can only change the exhibits, activities and setting that make up the experience to better reach the visitor.…”

Assessing Mission-Related Learning Outcomes at Zoos and Aquaria: Prevalence, Barriers, and Needs

“…The reasons for this disparity are probably multiple and not self-evident. For one, while zoos have been clarifying their conservation mission over the last few decades, the tools to measure emotional connections and other indicators of mission performance have just recently started to develop (e.g., Ogden & Heimlich, 2009). On the other hand, measures of field programs or ex situ breeding have deep roots in ecology and population biology.…”