The integration of environmental education into sustainable development is essential for preparing future generations to understand and value ecosystems. This study examines the effectiveness of two pedagogical approaches - traditional classroom lectures and field workshops with a game-based format - in enhancing adolescents’ awareness of ecosystem services, with emphasis on intangible cultural values. The intervention involved 150 sixth- and seventh-grade students from two schools in Lublin, Poland. The control group attended a lecture, while the experimental group engaged in a six-hour outdoor lesson including a 90-minute workshop in the semi-natural green area of Górki Czechowskie. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with t-tests, ANOVA, regression, and PCA. Both methods improved knowledge, but workshops significantly enhanced place-based awareness (p = 0.017) and showed a near-significant effect on recognition of intangible values (p = 0.063). Cluster analysis identified learner profiles: Absorbers (low baseline knowledge, strong relative gains), Narrators (high-achieving girls with improved recognition of intangible services), Eco-Masters (high baseline, limited gains), and Nature Lovers (frequent contact with nature, modest improvement). Notably, low-achieving boys also benefited substantially from experiential activities. These results highlight the value of experiential, narrative-driven education in fostering both cognitive understanding and value-based environmental awareness. Tailoring strategies to learner diversity and preserving semi-natural urban green areas as “living laboratories” are crucial for effective sustainability education.
Michalik-Śnieżek et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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