Performing Assessment

The category of Performing Assessment was derived from several concepts that revealed that the educators performed assessment by utilizing only a limited number of strategies. It was evident early in the data collection process that the topic of assessment would be a source of some variation between centres. The sub-themes of justification for evaluation, subjective evaluation methods, and objective evaluation methods were exposed.

4.3.1.1 Justification for Evaluation

A diversity of justifications for performing assessments was heard. Some of the participants explicitly stated that formal assessments were undertaken primarily to ensure further funding and rebooking of groups.

“Well, it’s [survey] not asking very deep questions. It’s ‘did we meet your expectations? Was this program a good program?’ Those type of questions. I would say they are more marketing questions than it does with environmental consciousness.” (EE-3)

“…we send surveys out to the teachers, ‘cause teachers are… teachers really drive our business. Like if the teachers decided not to come, like we’d be in the red, you know. … They [adults and leaders] are the ones that you want to make happy, right? So I guess doing as much as possible to make them happy and comfortable.” (EE- 7)

The representative quotes above illustrate that there is a strong linkage between the visiting teachers’ satisfaction in the program and the necessity or desire to perform an assessment.

Some also spoke of the need to assess the programs for the reasons of lesson improvement or to fulfill community needs.

“At the end of each visit, when they [class] are leaving, I sit and chat with the visiting teachers… I basically say ‘What went well? What can we do better?’ … because that is the only way we are going to improve. So they will fill us in on the programs they liked … or if they thought not enough time was given… or those kind of things.” (EE-9) “We really say to them that we want to develop our programs so that they are meeting their needs.” (EE-10)

Again, it is clear in the quotes above that the visiting teacher or adult are the primary reasons to execute an explicit assessment task.

4.3.1.2 Subjective Evaluation Methods

The needs of the pupils, assessing their experience, were determined utilizing observational subjective assessments, colloquially termed the ‘gut-check’. The “gut-check” is the one universal assessment tool

most educators rely on to determine the quality of their instruction. There were no interview subjects that stated that they did not depend on their own judgement and expertise as the primary method of understanding the effectiveness of their programs or lessons.

“Generally, it’s the typical old good feeling at the end of the program.” (EE- 5) “And with experience [teaching], you really do have a good feel … whether or not it’s working. “ (EE – 4)

If a group leaves the facility with smiles on their faces and comments like ‘Today was the best day ever!’, then most educators feel that it has been a good lesson.

“The smiles, the hugs, or when a kid goes ‘Oh, that makes sense!’.” (EE-13)

“I hear on a regular basis, ‘This is the best field trip I’ve ever been on in my life’... and then the kids got this big grin on his face and they’re doing whatever.” (EE-8)

“When they leave, after doing the activity, they are happy, excited about it… I guess [it is] the unrealistic feeling that everyone is happy about it.” (EE -1)

They stated that their determination of what happened in a lesson was extremely important in molding their future actions and lesson delivery. This reliance on observational and informal assessment

methods led to an understanding that in reality the quality of environmental education in Ontario is determined by the collective cognitive and affective judgements of the educators toward their pupils and their own practice. While the ‘gut-check’ may be an assessment tool used by the majority of educators, I knew that some centres did undertake an effort in utilizing some sort of objective measurement tool in their practice.

4.3.1.3 Objective Evaluation Methods

The most common objective assessment tool used by educators is the survey. These surveys are usually administered during the departure phase of a group or emailed to the group leader. Completion rates for surveys were reported as low for the majority of interview participants.

“Actually, we used to do that, [send out surveys] … and hope that they [visiting adults] send it back, but we got a very little return rate…” (EE- 9)

“The problem … people do not fill out surveys.” (EE- 5)

“It might be best to give it to the teacher and collect it before they go… but if you send it back with them, you might never get it.” (EE-2)

Only one participant reported a positive return rate of almost 100%; this respondent was unaware of how they obtained such a high proportion of responses, and was amazed by my statement to them that many other centres receive a very low return rate on their surveys.

The forthright nature of some of the environmental educators interviewed indicated that they are aware that assessment and evaluation should be performed more frequently and with better measures. Many said that they just did not have the time, resources, or understanding of assessment tools to perform assessments other than surveys to teachers and ‘gut-checks’ for the children.