Abstract
The study investigated the effects of a three-day stay on an educational farm in Germany on the emotional constructs joy, interest, frustration, boredom, as well as on knowledge gain and perception of the activity-based methodology applied. A questionnaire was used to compare means scored in each dimension between secondary school rural and urban students (n=15 each). Results showed that while there were no significant results for knowledge gain, perception of the unit, and interest, rural students were significantly more bored and frustrated throughout the unit and less joyful than students belonging to the urban group. Even though the findings were limited, particularly in terms of sample size and reliability, they still hint at the importance of such programs for improving urban students’ interest in agriculture, nature, and sustainable development. Based on these findings, suggestions for further investigations and improvements of farm education programs are given.
Key words: comparative study; eduational farms; environmental awareness; environmental education