Nonformal and informal adult environmental and sustainability education: exploring the state of the field and learner experiences

Abstract

This dissertation explores nonformal and informal adult environmental and sustainability education (AESE), a lifelong learning process that links environmental, social, political, and economic issues. For more than 50 years, adult education has played an important role in addressing environmental challenges, but AESE remains an emerging field with less research than youth-focused environmental education. As socio-ecological challenges become more complex, it is increasingly important to document and evaluate AESE research and practices. This dissertation addresses this need through three studies (Chapters 2 – 4) that elevate adult education perspectives within the wider field of environmental and sustainability education research. Chapter 2 offers an original scoping review of AESE research in the United States. The review systematically maps the empirical literature, showing that most studies focus on individual learning outcomes, such as environmental knowledge, behavior, and attitudes, often in traditional nonformal and informal settings, such as museums and volunteer programs. Study participants have primarily been white, well-educated, older adults. Key research gaps include the diversity of research settings, attention to equity, collective learning, and educator experiences, which present opportunities for future research. Chapters 3 and 4 explore the practices of educators and the experiences of learners in Native Bee Watch (NBW), a community-science program that trains adult volunteers to identify and monitor bees for pollinator research and conservation. Chapter 3 details NBW's quick shift from an in-person program to a hybrid model during the COVID-19 pandemic and shares survey research on how adult volunteers experienced online training and field-based bee monitoring. Results indicate that the hybrid approach improved accessibility and increased volunteer participation but also brought challenges related to technology, feedback, and social engagement. These issues point to areas where the program can improve to better support volunteers' learning and confidence, improve data quality, and encourage social interaction. Chapter 4 focuses on a subset of participants from Chapter 3 and qualitatively examines how volunteers made sense of their participation in NBW. Using self-directed learning and identity frameworks, the findings show how NBW offered meaningful opportunities for scientific contribution, personal growth, and identity development. Volunteers described that learning to "notice" bees and local ecosystems deepened their connection to nature and encouraged changes in attitudes and behaviors. The findings highlight the importance of identity, social learning, and place-based experiences in shaping adult environmental learning. Chapter 5 integrates ideas from all three studies, linking the NBW research (Chapters 3 and 4) with the trends and gaps identified in the AESE scoping review (Chapter 2). Recommendations include expanding AESE research beyond traditional leisure settings, highlighting collective learning and equity, and utilizing community science as a platform for adult education and civic engagement. The dissertation concludes with suggestions to advance AESE scholarship and practice in addressing complex socio-ecological challenges.