Using Public Deliberation and Environmental Issues Forums …
515
Table 1 EIF forums implemented in MO with specific locations, date, and type of participants
Study site Forum locations
Type of
participants
Date
Number of
participants
1
Columbia Public
Library
Adults
March 4, 2017
7
1
Columbia Public
Library
Adults
April 18, 2017 12
1
Columbia Public
Library
Adults
May 10, 2017
8
2
University of
Missouri
Youth
July 12, 2017
11
3
Calvary Episcopal
Church
Adults
Sept 24, 2017
8
3
Calvary Episcopal
Church
Adults
Sept 25, 2017
13
59
3.2 Study Site
We conducted total six forums in Columbia, MO from March to September 2017. We
chose Columbia Public Library and Calvary Episcopal Church as our public forum
sites because of its proximity to downtown Columbia to allow us attract a diverse
audience. We also conducted a forum with a group of rising seniors from MO high
schools who attended the Natural Resources Careers Academy in July 2017. The
study followed the Institutional Review Board protocol at the University of Missouri
(Table 1).
3.3 Evaluating Instruments
3.3.1 Survey for Adult Forum
The pre-survey had five questions: motivation (1 open-ended question), expectation
(1 open-ended question), feeling (1 open-ended question), action (1 open-ended question), and hope concerning climate change (10 items). We used the Climate Change
Hope Scale (CCHS) (Li and Monroe 2017) to measure the pre- and post-forum sense
of hope among participants. The CCHS measured the hope with three factors: (1)
collective-sphere willpower and waypower, (2) personal-sphere willpower and waypower, and (3) lack of willpower and waypower. The reliability and validity study
indicated that the scale was reliable for use among high school students. The omega
coefficient was between 0.75 and 0.83 for each of the three factors. The Cronbach’s
alpha was between 0.68 and 0.80 for each of the three dimensions. The post-survey
515
Table 1 EIF forums implemented in MO with specific locations, date, and type of participants
Study site Forum locations
Type of
participants
Date
Number of
participants
1
Columbia Public
Library
Adults
March 4, 2017
7
1
Columbia Public
Library
Adults
April 18, 2017 12
1
Columbia Public
Library
Adults
May 10, 2017
8
2
University of
Missouri
Youth
July 12, 2017
11
3
Calvary Episcopal
Church
Adults
Sept 24, 2017
8
3
Calvary Episcopal
Church
Adults
Sept 25, 2017
13
59
3.2 Study Site
We conducted total six forums in Columbia, MO from March to September 2017. We
chose Columbia Public Library and Calvary Episcopal Church as our public forum
sites because of its proximity to downtown Columbia to allow us attract a diverse
audience. We also conducted a forum with a group of rising seniors from MO high
schools who attended the Natural Resources Careers Academy in July 2017. The
study followed the Institutional Review Board protocol at the University of Missouri
(Table 1).
3.3 Evaluating Instruments
3.3.1 Survey for Adult Forum
The pre-survey had five questions: motivation (1 open-ended question), expectation
(1 open-ended question), feeling (1 open-ended question), action (1 open-ended question), and hope concerning climate change (10 items). We used the Climate Change
Hope Scale (CCHS) (Li and Monroe 2017) to measure the pre- and post-forum sense
of hope among participants. The CCHS measured the hope with three factors: (1)
collective-sphere willpower and waypower, (2) personal-sphere willpower and waypower, and (3) lack of willpower and waypower. The reliability and validity study
indicated that the scale was reliable for use among high school students. The omega
coefficient was between 0.75 and 0.83 for each of the three factors. The Cronbach’s
alpha was between 0.68 and 0.80 for each of the three dimensions. The post-survey