Pupils’ Conceptions of Forests and Foresters’ Work after a Place-Based Forest Education Programme

Abstract Short forest-based environmental education programmes are widely used, yet there is limited evidence on how such programmes are reflected in pupils’ immediate articulations of forests, forest stewardship and foresters’ work. This multi-site, predominantly same-day pre–post study examined shifts in lower-secondary pupils’ open-ended responses following participation in a 4.5-hour structured forest education programme with local adaptation. Pupils aged 11–13 (N = 264) completed two open-ended prompts before and after field sessions delivered across seven sites. Responses were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with descriptive quantification, with change summarised through percentage-point differences and relative change patterns. Post-programme responses indicated a shift from generic, vague or fantastical associations towards more sensory, differentiated and forestry-related language. Post-programme articulations of foresters’ work less often reflected hunting- and firearms-related framings and more often referenced forest management and maintenance, tree care and education and outreach. These patterns are interpreted as proximal discursive indicators of stewardship-related conceptual differentiation rather than behavioural outcomes. The findings illustrate the feasibility of using low-burden meaning-based indicators to support routine monitoring of short forest-based programmes.