How to measure behavioral change?

Hello everyone,

In the fall I'll be teaching a "break petroleum dependence" class at Elgin Community College (Illinois). I'd love to do a pre-test/post-test to measure students' behavioral change, i.e., in what ways and to what degree they are making the transition away from oil. The findings might help us identify what teaching strategies are most effective in getting members of the general public to use less petroleum.

Does such an inventory already exist? If so, please send me a signal

donna dot askins at gmail dot com

Many thanks.

Donna.

nballentine's picture

to measure behavioral change

I'm sure you've thought of all these, however I offer them to you nonetheless:

Have them keep track of exactly how many gallons they pump into their cars over the next month. Have them start a mini log. Have them date each time they fill up, etc

Have them fill out a qualitative survey (yes/no or something like that):
e.g. Do you compost? (y/n)
Do you ever bike or walk to communte? (y/n)
Do you grow any of your own food? (y/n)
Do you know if there is a local farmers market? (y/n)
Do you purchase your produce at the farmers market?
Do you require gasoline in order to engage in social
activities? (y/N)

Then, say a month after your workshop, you could have people fill out the same survey both for personal (and your reflection) to see if they'd changed any.

Anonymous's picture

to measure behavioral change

Thank you, these are excellent ideas. My thoughts run along similar lines. Will probably throw in some quantitative measuers (or have students submit their log data) as well as the y/n toggle. I'm thinking also of running the survey with a control group of people not enrolled in the class.

It would be great to find some behavioral change correlated with having taken the class.