The Breeze Project in England uses the Forest School approach to promote the psychological wellbeing of children and young people (CYP) with extreme anxiety and/or social, emotional and behavioral difficulties. The Breeze Project conducts its Forest School in a wooded area of a community garden. Students attend Forest School an entire day, once a week during the school year. This study uses a theory of change methodology to assess the impact of the Breeze Project and to examine the program aspects and processes that might explain impact. Theory of change focuses on how and why a desired change is expected to occur in a particular context.
Two schools participated in this study – one serving young children, age 4-11; the other, serving youth, age 11-16. Students at both schools have serious emotional and behavioral concerns, making it difficult or impossible for them to function in mainstream education. Key members of staff and a forest school practitioner from each of the schools participated in interviews focusing on the anticipated actions and outcomes of the project. These interviews were conducted at regular intervals throughout the project. The researcher also collected data through more informal discussions occurring during planning and reflection meetings. A number of CYP also participated in interviews using formats of their own choosing (e.g., semi-structured conversations, reflection on photographs and/or diaries, informal discussions in class). Additional data was collected through phone interviews with four parents/caregivers and observations of the researcher as she participated in forest school sessions at each school.Quantitative data - a secondary focus on this study - included student behavioral data and self-assessed student social and emotional literacy questionnaires.
Four themes emerged from an analysis of the data: Engagement and enjoyment; Relationships and interactions with others; Perception of self; and Beyond Forest School. Interviews with CYP indicated that they tended to be highly engaged during forest school sessions, that they enjoyed the experience, and that their enjoyment was closely related to the setting. In addition to providing contact with nature, Forest School also allowed the young people “to experience the setting as a significantly different space with a different set of expectations.” For a few, these different expectations proved to be a challenge, as they were used to a more structured day. Researcher observations and interviews with adults indicated that the students made improvements in their relationships and social interactions. Factors attributed to these improvements include the support of trained practitioners, high adult to child ratio, a focus on holistic development, and learner-led pedagogy which often involved collaborative activities. “The learner-led pedagogy was identified as a critical factor in allowing CYP to 'take what they need' from the process.” Feedback from students and adults indicated that Forest School had a positive influence on students' perception of self. This outcome was attributed to the supported opportunities for CYP to experience challenge and achieve success. “This was felt to be particularly important for these young people as they had previously experienced multiple unsuccessful experiences leading to poor self-image.” While some CYP struggled to make connections between their time at Forest School and other areas of their lives, some parents and teachers reported positive personal and social effects beyond Forest School.
This research demonstrates that the theory of change can be a useful tool in assessing the impact of a program and identifying the complex processes that lead to change. This research also documents ways in which the forest school approach can yield different benefits for different children and youth.
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