Enhancing biodiversity literacy in early learners: The impact of direct outdoor experience versus classroom instruction

This article examines the effects of direct versus vicarious experience with forest organisms on Slovenian preschool children’s knowledge of biodiversity. A total of 129 children (three to six years old) participated in either a one-week hands-on forest program, a classroom program, or no intervention (control group). Both programs targeted knowledge about forest plants, soil animals, tree-dwelling animals, and general forest concepts. The results of the quasi-experimental study, which involved a pretest, a post-test, and a six-week follow-up, showed that the forest group achieved the greatest and most durable gains in all areas. Classroom learning led to smaller, often short-lived improvements, and the control group showed minimal change. The results emphasize the superiority of sensory-rich outdoor learning when it comes to promoting detailed, lasting knowledge of biodiversity, expanding children’s ecological awareness beyond charismatic species, and combating plant awareness disparity.