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

• DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01814
• Publication Date: 2021-09-17T08:12:29Z
• Authors: Yuanchao Gong; Yang Li; Linxiu Zhang; Yan Sun
• Keywords: Thriving; Informal Education

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 can also indirectly reach out to benefit employees, namely, employees' "informal learning education", remains understudied. The present study addressed this gap by making a preliminary exploration fifteen reserves China an online survey, we found that employees could be positively affected informally acquired terms of increased self-reported ecological conservation Besides, revealed underlying mechanism drives effect—employees' increase their competence, leading improved self-efficacy, which turn elevates We thereby discussed implications these results, offered practical suggestions policy making, management practice self-enhancing, identified directions future research.