Evidencing the conservation education value of zoos
Conservation education has been a core area of zoo work for decades, but only recently have we seen research into understanding the impact of those endeavours.
Approaches to conservation education in zoos are varied. Conservation educators must grapple with the challenge of engaging a broad audience which includes people of diverse ages, backgrounds and scientific literacy, both in and beyond the zoo.
Zoos frequently emphasise the educational aspects of their work, both to engage audiences and to justify the continued existence of zoos and aquaria. We are working to collect more clear and replicable evidence of the impact of zoos as education spaces, not only to prove the case for continued work in this area, but to evaluate and implement the best methods of conservation teaching.
Case Study: The Meta‐analysis
The Problem:
Anecdotally, guests, educators and zoo professionals recognise the value of zoos as spaces for learning. We need hard data to get an accurate picture of to what degree zoos expand people’s knowledge about conservation.
The Solution:
Chester Zoo scholar and lead author Xavier McNally, along with Charlotte Smith, Dr Andy Moss and colleagues from Sheffield University, have conducted a systematic review to investigate the effect of zoo-led interventions on knowledge, beliefs and behaviour among zoo visitors.
"A meta‐analysis of the effect of visiting zoos and aquariums on visitors’ conservation knowledge, beliefs, and behavior" was published in Conservation Biology journal in 2024.
These outcomes were identified using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a theoretical lens. Multilevel meta-analyses revealed a clear positive effect of engaging with zoo-led interventions on outcomes. Specifically, visitors were more knowledgeable about conservation issues, held more favourable attitudes toward conservation, and reported being more likely to act for the benefit of biodiversity.