Evidence-based conservation education in Mexican communities: Connecting arts and science

Several studies suggest that 63% of primate species are currently threatened due to deforestation, pet-trade, and bushmeat hunting. Successful primate conservation strategies require effective educational programs capable of enhancing critical system-thinking and responsible behavior towards these species. Arts-based conservation education can simultaneously foster cognitive and emotional processes. In this paper, we evaluate an arts-based educational program focused on the conservation of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Our goals were to determine (1) whether children’s knowledge changed with our educational techniques, (2) if there was a particular educational technique that better improved the children’s learning, and (3) the children’s emotional feedback regarding the whole program. A total of 229 children from communities located in primate-habitat areas, both inside and outside protected areas, participated in the study. Different educational techniques were tested (storytelling, theater and shadow puppets), contrasted with a control group, and evaluated through an analysis of drawings. Our results showed that children’s knowledge increase with each art-based technique, with storytelling being the most effective for children’s learning. Specific drawings indicators also revealed the increase of children’s knowledge and a decrease of misconceptions between pre and post evaluations. Finally, a satisfaction survey about the program showed a high positive feedback. The study highlights the value of designing multidisciplinary projects, where arts-based education program (grounded in scientific information) has shown to be a successful way to communicate animal knowledge and promote conservation.


Abstract:
Several studies suggest that 63% of primate spp. are currently threatened due to deforestation, pet-trade, and bushmeat hunting. Successful primate conservation strategies require accurate educational programs capable of enhancing new systemthinking and responsible behavior with these species. Arts-based conservation education can inclusively foster cognitive and emotional processes. In this paper, we evaluate an arts-based Primate Conservation Education program conducted in Southern Mexico. A total of 229 children from habitat communities participated in a program for the conservation of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Different teaching methods were tested (storytelling, theater and shadow puppets), contrasted with a control group, and evaluated through a drawings analysis. Our results showed that children's knowledge score was predicted by the technique used and the residence within or outside of Protected Areas (PAs). Conversely, gender and context (urban or rural) did not. Overall, indicators revealed an increase of knowledge and a decrease of misconceptions between Pre-Post evaluations. Finally, a satisfaction survey about the program showed a high positive feedback. The study highlights the value of designing multidisciplinary projects based on holistic experiences, where the arts-based education program (grounded in previous scientific studies) has shown to be a successful way to conduct a Primate Conservation Education program.
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Unfunded studies Enter: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.  concern for biological conservation [10]. However, the strategy of charismatic and flagship species will be more effective if local knowledge and perceptions are considered, and if the target species have links to their cultural identity [11]. Primates are particularly attractive to children; albeit unintentionally, children prefer animals with anthropomorphic features [13].
Mexico is the northernmost distribution for New World Primates with two of their native species Alouatta pigra and Ateles geofroyi categorized as 'Endangered' by IUCN [14]. The principal threats to these animals are deforestation and hunting for either food or pet trade [10].
Additionally, primate conservation programs take place under different socio-economic conditions such as high poverty rates, limited funding resources, some negative cultural stereotypes, and political instability and corruption [15]. In the face of these challenges, successful primate conservation requires a multidisciplinary approach that needs to be nourished by theory and practice from, at least, the fields of biology, anthropology, psychology, economics, and education [16]. Integrating the natural and social sciences will guarantee that decision-making during planning, implementation and management are guided by the best explain the activities that we had planned with kids (see Table 1). Interviews were also conducted 192 in the community to understand the social and environmental context of schools. 193

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The intervention was carried out following different artistic languages, in which everyone was 198 focused on a specific sense (Table 1) working as a team?) To answer them we used a dartboard prototype with three different colors of 217 codification: greenvery satisfied, yellowmedium, and rednot satisfied. Also, we hung a 218 board on the wall with the title "How did I find the experience" and encouraged the children to 219 express their thoughts and feedback about the activities, our presence, or a special moment they 220 wanted to share (Fig. 2). 221 silhouette was given to each child, crayons were provided and they were encouraged to draw to 228 answer the following question 'What does this animal need to live well?' (Fig. 3). There was no 229 discussion before starting the drawing session, except to introduce the activity. Students were 230 given 50-60 minutes to complete the drawings. 231 232 Fig. 3. Some of the children responses through drawings, each drawing is unique to each child.

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We asked teachers to not interact with children, discuss their drawings or provide additional 235 explanation during the activity. Also, no books or images were allowed for the activity.   Fig. 4), except for the control group (P=0.212; Fig. 4). 291 Storytelling had the highest score from the Post-evaluation (3.9), followed by Theatre and 292 Shadow Puppets, which shared similar scores (3.8 and 3.5, respectively). The storytelling 293 technique produced a higher Increase of Learning (IL), or the difference between the Score of Pre 294 and Post intervention (See Table A.2). 295  (Table 3), such as including less bananas for food or 319 drawing less times black howlers at the forest floor. Differences were not found among 320 techniques. 321  In order to obtain a further understanding about children's perceptions of and reactions to the 335 program, we also took into account the messages from the board (Fig. 2). Most of the messages 336 18 (71.3%) were about what they liked more. Particularly, they were referring to some humorous or 337 positive moments of specific activities, including some of the icebreaker games (e.g. "I liked 338 painting, working with you, dancing and singing, I liked everything"; "I liked to perform the 339 theatre, I had a lot of fun and I learnt a lot"; "I liked when we saw the show of the monkey and 340 the boy" or "I liked the shadow puppet"). Generally, most of the messages (65.2%) were related 341 to positive feelings and emotions, and some messages were requests to continue our work with 342 them ("I liked doing activities with you, I hope you come back"). Some sentences (40.6%) were 343 linked to the black howler monkeys and what the children learned about them ("I liked to 344 perform the theatre and to learn about monkeys, and to draw them"). 345 citizens with positive environmental values to rural communities [56], and the decrease of 393 economic dependence related to natural resources industries by rural communities. In a related 394 study to the present one, we found differences in the Pre-evaluation [18], but in a reverse pattern: 395 rural children knew more about these animals because they had more opportunities to see them. 396

Quality of Education and Conservation programs: the need for
However, in the post-evaluation of this study we found that context (urban or rural) was not a 397 factor influencing children's knowledge, thereby confirming again that the project worked for 398 both contexts and reduced the differences in conservation knowledge between rural and urban 399 areas.  With respect to assumptions or misconceptions, these three decreased in the Post-test 488 analysis, indicating that our intervention not only helps increase learning, but also to clarify some 489 children's confusions. The origin of the myth that monkeys naturally eat bananas remains 490 unidentified, but its persistence is a misconception that primate conservation education programs 491 should address as it tends to anthropomorphize monkeys. The banana concept was tackled 492 through the help of "dislike" sounds and negative expressions during the interventions. The 493 brown color was explained in the stories with the different formats, but it was also reinforced by 494 showing a real picture of the animal at the end of the activity. The forest floor misconception was 495 highlighted in the story by relaying that howlers arrived at an extremely deforested area and 496 needed to cross the highway on the ground to access to other sources of fruit, but that some died 497 while trying. Other threats and diseases that these animals face in the forest floor were also 498 shown. 499 through the traditional teaching system, it is not common for them to be consulted about the 506 educational programs that they receive or to be asked to evaluate their teachers' performance. For 507 this reason, it is important to take into account that their answers may be conditioned, resulting in 508 overestimating our performance. However, the satisfaction survey is still a useful tool to explore 509 their reactions about our activities and also to enhance critical thinking, which is necessary for 510 the decision-making processes about sustainability issues. 511

Satisfaction survey
The general results of the satisfaction survey show a positive response to this conservation 512 education program by the students. Children stated that they had learned about the black howler 513 monkey conservation and considered it an important issue. We attribute these reactions to their 514 enjoyment of the learning process and the arts-based techniques used. Including an emotional 515 component in the design of education programs can act as a motivation factor by facilitating 516 students' engagement and making the learning process more stimulating [26]. Although the 517 percentage of negative perceptions obtained in this survey was very low, it is important to 518 consider that some children thought that the time invested in the implementation of the program 519 26 should have been longer. This is in agreement with some primate education projects that have 520 found that longer programs are associated with a greater increase in participants' knowledge 521 [61,33] and that long-lasting projects would be more effective (Swartz et al. 2012). That said, 522 other studies found that the length of participant involvement did not affect knowledge retention 523 [16,76]. The message posts left by the children on the board all contained positive content. Most 524 of these messages allude to their enjoyment with some of the artistic activities or icebreaker 525 games we did during the process. On the one hand, the use of games is a powerful teaching 526 strategy because it makes the learning process more interesting and fun [77]. On the other hand, 527 researchers have found that arts offer a way for people to connect emotionally to the conservation 528 topic of interest, and therefore are proving successful. A good learning process includes feelings 529 and is vital to achieving long-term changes in perceptions and behaviors [26]. Moreover, children 530 showed in their messages that they really appreciated our activities and the time they spent with 531 us, and that they would love to repeat the experience. 532 533

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We contend that the program was effective not only because of the techniques used, but because 535 it was a holistic program. According to Stern et al. [78], after reviewing 86 programs, they found 536 that a common element of success in the interpretation of Education for Sustainable Development 537 field was the concept of providing a holistic experience [78]. Since we started asking for permits 538 from the Secretaría de Educación Pública -Secretariat of Public Education in the Government 539 office of each State, we considered presentation days, ice breaker games, establishing rapport or 540 trust with the school community (and the general community). We also did a pre-test with 541 inclusive, qualitative and comfortable evaluating tools (drawings). We worked with small 542 groups, naming those groups with the corresponding fruits and animals which appeared in the 543 story. We conducted activities beforehand in order to prepare the artistic language for the 544 different techniques of the intervention. We based the program on an artistic approach, 545 conducting several dialogues in between, and other drawing activities to reinforce learning. We 546 also conducted the satisfaction survey, as well as games to invite reflection and the sharing of 547 experiences, emotions and cultural exchanges. We spent 2-3 weeks at each place, living there, 548 sharing food with the local people, getting to know the parents, grandparents and places in which 549 they loved to play or explore after school. We also participated in some activities important for 550 the local community (e.g. town or school festivals, sport events). To sum up, it was a holistic 551 experience. Holistic experiences involve conveying a complete idea or story within the 552 educational context. They thus carry high potential to provide a coherent picture of the relevance 553 of the educational activity and a clear take-home point for students to reflect upon or pursue 554 following the experience [78]. 555 556 28 Acknowledgments 557 The authors are grateful to the participating schools. We would like to express our deepest 558 gratitude to Erin P. Riley and Maria Lay for their valuable suggestions to the structure of the 559 manuscript, language editing, and proofreading. Thanks to John Aristizabal, Esther Castro, Laura 560 Jayme for their support during fieldwork activities, and Adriana Sandoval-Comte who helped 561 with mapping. We thank Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología