The impact of meaningful watershed environmental experiences on the academic achievement of middle school students

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact that meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEE) had on the academic achievement of middle school students. A quantitative, ex post facto causal-comparative design was used. The sample population consisted of 1067 8th-grade students across four middle schools within the Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) region. The study utilized students’ academic achievement scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and compared the scores of those with exposure to MWEE and those without to examine the difference in academic achievement on the English language arts (ELA), math, and science sections of the PSSA. Using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), the data was analyzed. The findings demonstrate a statistically significant difference between students’ PSSA scores based on students’ MWEE participation status. Implications for practice and future research are offered.