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Ecological citizen science in schools: a case study of impact on pupils’ connection to nature and knowledge of UK mammals

Mason, Samantha S.; Hill, Russell A.; Whittingham, Mark J.; Coghill, Lorraine; Stephens, Philip A.

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Authors

Samantha Mason samantha.s.mason@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy

Mark J. Whittingham



Abstract

Being connected to nature can have many benefits for children, including improved well-being, and more positive attitudes towards the environment. Ecological recording, as part of a citizen science project, may offer new opportunities for children to learn about, and connect with, nature. In this study, we investigate outcomes of an ecological citizen science intervention carried out in 34 primary schools across North-East England. Participating schools: deployed camera traps to monitor wildlife; took part in a workshop; and contributed to the citizen science project, MammalWeb. After our intervention, pupils could draw / name more UK mammals, particularly species that were captured on the school’s camera traps. Connection to nature scores did not significantly increase across all pupils however, there was an increase in scores for those pupils who had a low initial score. Schools that took part in teacher workshops engaged more with MammalWeb, following the intervention period however, teacher feedback revealed that long-term engagement was challenging due to time constraints and other factors. Our study demonstrates the positive impacts that participating in a citizen science project can have on school pupils, whilst also highlighting some of the challenges of sustaining engagement and therefore benefits for pupils in the long-term.

Citation

Mason, S. S., Hill, R. A., Whittingham, M. J., Coghill, L., & Stephens, P. A. (online). Ecological citizen science in schools: a case study of impact on pupils’ connection to nature and knowledge of UK mammals. International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement, https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2025.2515617

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 28, 2025
Online Publication Date Jun 16, 2025
Deposit Date Jun 17, 2025
Publicly Available Date Jun 17, 2025
Journal International Journal of Science Education, Part B
Print ISSN 2154-8455
Electronic ISSN 2154-8463
Publisher Taylor and Francis Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2025.2515617
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4106244

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