Review of research on school ground vegetation highlights the need for more specificity and uniformity in related researchMultifunctionality is often used as a guiding principle in school ground greening by countries around the world. Multifunctionality, in this context, refers to the capability of the greening projects to provide a variety of functions. The aim of this review of the literature was to investigate patterns of research concerning school ground vegetation, with specific attention to the attributes of the vegetation itself and how these attributes relate to the expected multifunctionality.
This research was conducted as a mapping review, which involves a visual synthesis of the data rather than an examination and synthesis of the results of the reviewed studies. In other words, it focuses on “the when, where and how of the research, rather than the specific findings themselves.” Two questions were addressed: “What are the characteristics of the research concerning the topic of school ground vegetation?” and “How are vegetation and its spatial and temporal qualities reported and described in research concerning school ground vegetation?” Searches for related literature were conducted in two databases (Web of Science and Scopus) and separately in the journal Children, Youth and Environments. The review focused solely on the literature concerning vegetation within school borders and included schools serving students up to 20 years old. The review was limited to studies published in English. An initial search conducted in April 2021 and a follow-up search in January 2023 identified 133 articles within the parameters of the study. All of the 133 articles were included in the review.
Results showed that research activity in this field increased dramatically during recent decades and that it addresses large parts of the world. The majority of the research, however, focused on the Global North (Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand). Results also revealed many disparities within the literature on school ground vegetation, including the driving forces behind the related initiatives. Additionally, there were variations in the way articles included vegetation in their research and the depth to which they considered it. Fourteen themes relating to the goals of school yard vegetation were identified with their prevalence varying significantly. For example, “eco-literacy” was identified as the main theme in 20 articles, “social relationships” in just one article. Some studies showed that “the canopy and structure of different types and species of trees have different effects on the microclimate of school grounds” and that “varied sizes, ages, and species of vegetation offer diverse benefits when it comes to its effects on children." Yet, “more than a third (36.6 %) of the studies did not specify the size and/or shape of the vegetation to any degree.” When the researchers looked at which themes tended to be researched together, or not, they discovered that the relationships among several areas are not well understood and would benefit from more research. For example, "when it comes to the multifunctionality of school grounds, the themes 'biodiversity' and 'play' display two functions of school grounds which are generally not researched together, thus presenting an interesting possibility for future research."
The results of this review highlight the need for more specificity and uniformity in research on school ground vegetation. Specific recommendations are offered on how to bridge the gaps in the literature to provide a more integrated understanding of the topic .
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