A group from Ohio State University developed a highly controlled study to measure the impact of Project WILD on student learning and attitudes.

Because Project WILD is a complex collection of activities and units, one unit from the "framework" was selected and isolated.  Teachers involved in the study conducted five activities from the unit (from a choice of nine) and student knowledge was measured specifically on knowledge outcomes identified in the framework, and not on knowledge specific to each activity.

Using a pre- and post-test, treatment and control group design, this study was utilized in eight classrooms (n=224).

The study confirmed that:

1. Project WILD has a positive impact on student knowledge about wildlife;
2. Exposure to Project WILD activities has a positive impact on the attitudes of students toward wildlife and constructs about wildlife.

Mean scores for students participating in Project WILD activities were higher for both knowledge and attitude than were those who did not participate.  Standard deviations also reveal there is consistency in the response patterns for students who participated.

The use of five activities from the one unit of the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum Guide resulted in nearly a 10% score increase on a difficult test based on the framework.