Scientific knowledge and attitude change: The impact of a citizen science project

The Birdhouse Network (TBN) is one of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s citizen-science projects. Participants put up one or more birdhouses in their yards or neighborhoods, observe them, and report data on these nest boxes. The summative evaluation of this program examined knowledge and attitude changes in adult program participants. Specifically, it focused on the following outcomes: knowledge of bird biology, attitude toward science, attitude toward the environment, and understanding of the scientific process. Mail survey instruments, based largely on existing scales, were used to gather data.