Education Program Evaluation at Multiple Primate Sanctuaries in Equatorial Africa

Published source details Kuhar C.W., Bettinger T.L., Lehnhardt K., Cartwright B. & Cress D. (2012) Education Program Evaluation at Multiple Primate Sanctuaries in Equatorial Africa. International Journal of Primatology, 33, 208-217.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Implement multimedia campaigns using theatre, film, print media, discussions Action Link

Implement multimedia campaigns using theatre, film, print media, discussions

A before-and-after study that evaluated education programmes implemented by five primate sanctuaries housing guenons Cercopithecus erythrogaster and mangabeys Cercopithecus sp. (Cercopan in Nigeria), chimpanzees Pan troglodytes (HELP-Congo and Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda), and bonobos Pan paniscus (Lola ya Bonobo in the Democratic Republic of Congo) found that participants had increased knowledge of primates. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of participants were able to answer the questions correctly after participating in the programme. Furthermore, an increase in the proportion of individuals that correctly answered a question (‘performance’) (effect size measured by Cohen’s h >0.78) could be observed across all but one programme content category. The largest increase in performance was observed in community adults and the best overall programme performance in secondary school pupils. Questions to evaluate the education programme that were individually designed by each sanctuary were separated into one of five content categories addressing basic biological knowledge, threats and conservation actions.