RT Journal Article T1 Evaluating the Role of Introductory Lessons in Outdoor Environmental Activities A1 Plaza, S. A1 Rabanal, J. M. A1 Delgado Sáez, Juan Antonio AB We assessed the independent impacts both of an introductory in-class lesson and an outdoor lesson on test scores in a group of Spanish schoolchildren. Our main aim was to assess whether either type of lesson interacted or whether their effects were additive. We tested total of 139 grade 4 students (age 9–10) from 4 Spanish primary schools using a factorial design, taking into account school and student gender. The outdoor experience consisted of a talk on the main species of flora and fauna (birds and mammals) during a walk through the forest and also included a set of rules for good conduct. The introductory lessons at the schools consisted of a talk on the same topics with the aid of pictures. Following the lessons, selected students filled in a questionnaire which we used to evaluate increased knowledge. The results showed that outdoor activity, training lesson and school had a strong influence on total score. However, we have not found a synergic effect between the training lesson and the outdoor activity. Thus, it was concluded that a previous in-class lesson increased students knowledge and, although it was not obligatory to obtain the benefits of the outdoor activity, it might be useful with regard to linking in-class and outdoor environments. PB Balkan Environmental Association (B.EN.A.) SN 1311-5065 YR 2012 FD 2012 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/42885 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/42885 LA eng NO Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDRA) DS Docta Complutense RD 26 ago 2024