An exploratory study of docents as a channel for institutional messages at free-choice conservation education settings

Conservation education at zoos, parks and other free-choice conservation settings is geared towards teaching and/or reinforcing certain key conservation messages that relate to the mission of the institution. These messages are communicated through a variety of channels ranging from interpretive signage, to resource elements (e.g., animals, scenic vistas, etc.) and personnel (e.g., docents and interpreters. A number of studies have focused on the outcome of visits to such settings, but little is known about the accuracy of message communication through these channels, or the factors that influence the fidelity of message communication using these channels. This study seeks to identify characteristics of educational personnel that that may cause message distortion while using them as a channel for institutional messages at free-choice conservation education settings. The study employed an emergent design with mixed methods and was conducted at a large zoo in the Midwest. Berlo’s communication process model was used to examine factors that influence docents as a message channel. Phase I consisted of interviews with docents and visitors to determine awareness of messages and perceptions of docents as a channel for messages. In phase II, docent-visitor interactions were observed to determine extent of actual message communication. This was followed by interviews with docents and visitors involved in the interaction to measure their perceptions of what messages had been communicated. Finally, an exit survey was used in phase III to assess visitor perceptions of docents as a source for the institution’s messages. Findings indicate docents and similar educational personnel differ from other channels within free-choice conservation education settings because they exhibit source characteristics such as communication skills, attitudes (towards self, subject matter, and receivers), knowledge and socio-cultural systems. These factors introduce noise into the message communication system when docents are used as a channel for key messages. From a learning perspective, visitors were found to compress their visit and thereby attribute more messages to docents than were observed. Docents were found to be less successful at teaching affective and higher order cognitive messages than other predominantly cognitive messages, while signage is very effective at building cognitive awareness of messages among visitors.

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