Informal learning in nature education promotes ecological conservation behaviors of nature reserve employees—A preliminary study in China

Abstract

Nature education based on natural environments, such as nature reserves, has been thriving worldwide for several decades with abundant positive results concerning improvement in public environmental attitude and behaviors. However, whether the public-oriented nature education can also indirectly reach out to benefit employees, namely, employees’ “informal learning in nature education”, remains understudied. The present study addressed this gap by making a preliminary exploration in fifteen nature reserves in China with an online survey, and we found that employees could be positively affected by informally acquired nature education in terms of increased self-reported ecological conservation behaviors. Besides, we revealed the underlying mechanism that drives this positive effect—employees’ indirectly acquired nature education could increase their environmental competence, leading to improved self-efficacy, which in turn elevates ecological conservation behaviors. We thereby discussed the implications of these results, offered practical suggestions for policy making, management practice and employees’ self-enhancing, and we also identified directions for future research.