School gardens can positively impact students' knowledge and attitude, and help them gain valuable experiences

Education reform initiatives enacted in Iran in 2011 call for the provision of opportunities for promoting students' attitude, knowledge, and experience, especially in the areas of production and the environment. Implementation of these initiatives, however, remains very limited. While most elementary schools in Iran have outdoor spaces where school gardens could be constructed, few schools have gardens on their grounds. This research was conducted as a pilot study to investigate the effects of a school garden program on students' knowledge and attitude and to explore their related experiences.

Two elementary schools in Kermanshah province (Iran) participated in this quasi-experimental study. Fifty-five sixth-grade students from one school served as the experimental group; an equal number of sixth graders from the other school served as the control group. The experimental group participated in a weekly one-hour gardening session over a period of three months. The one-hour session included a 20- minute lesson and a 40-minute hands-on activity. The control group did not participate in any gardening activities. Students in the both the experimental and control groups completed an attitude and knowledge questionnaire before and after the gardening program. Students in the experimental group also participated in semi-structured interviews focusing on their experiences during the school garden project.

Questionnaire results revealed a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test knowledge and attitude scores of the experimental group, but not for the control group. There was also a significant difference in post-test knowledge and attitude scores between the experimental and control groups. Examples of improved knowledge and attitude include students' confidence in cultivating plants at home. Interview results led to the identification of six themes relating to the students' gardening experience: changes in attitude, caring for nature, sense of belonging to nature, changes in moods and morals, improvement in knowledge and information, and learning with pleasure. Changes in attitude included, not only improved student attitudes about themselves, but also improved teachers' and parents' attitudes about the students' abilities.

This research demonstrates that school gardens can positively impact students' knowledge and attitude, and help them gain valuable experiences. This research also indicates that adopting school gardens as teaching resources could help meet Iran's goals for urban education.