eeRESEARCH

Welcome to our collaborative research library!

eeRESEARCH combines research for environmental education and the movement to connect children and nature. The database includes multiple ways to search for articles, syntheses, and research summaries. 

This project is a partnership with Children & Nature Network and NAAEE. Funded by the Pisces Foundation with support from ee360 and the U.S. Forest Service. Learn more.

Displaying 101 - 150 of 2107

Storylines can be beneficial for student learning in EE and science education

Lindgren, S. ., Morris, K. ., & Price, A. . (2021). Designing environmental storylines to achieve the complementary aims of environmental and science education through science and engineering practices. The Journal of Environmental Education, 52, 239-255.

Forest school educators observe connection with nature in young children

Harris, F. . (2021). Developing a relationship with nature and place: the potential role of forest school. Environmental Education Research, 27(8), 1214-1228. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.1896679

Teacher-designed activities help preschoolers understand connections between healthy living and environmental sustainability

Kornilaki, E. N., Skouteris, H. ., & Morris, H. . (2021). Developing connections between healthy living and environmental sustainability concepts in Cretan preschool children: A randomized trial. Early Child Development and Care. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2021.1925664

Innovative evaluation shows improvement of five environmental education related outcomes in program participants

Garip, G. ., Richardson, M. ., Tinkler, A. ., Glover, S. ., & Rees, A. . (2021). Development and implementation of evaluation resources for a green outdoor educational program. The Journal of Environmental Education, 52, 25-39.

New tool for assessing parental self-efficacy related to nature connectedness is reliable and valid

Barnes, C. ., Harvey, C. ., Holland, C. ., & Wall, S. . (2021). Development and testing of the nature connectedness parental self-efficacy (NCPSE) scale. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 63. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127343

Teaching choices in early childhood facilitate sustainable learning in students

Hedefalk, M. ., Caiman, C. ., Ottander, C. ., & Almqvist, J. . (2021). Didactical dilemmas when planning teaching for sustainable development in preschool. Environmental Education Research, 27, 37-49.

Implicit bias may influence assessment results of SEL in a multicultural group of students

Germinaro, K. ., & Jones, J. M. (2021). Diversity in outdoor education: Discrepancies in SEL across a school overnight program. Journal of Experiential Education. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10538259211040185

COVID-19 lessons can shape an ecopedagogy centered on environmental justice

Misiaszek, G. W. (2021). Ecopedagogical literacy of a pandemic: Teaching to critically read the politics of COVID-19 with environmental issues. The Journal of Environmental Education, 52(5), 358-369. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2021.1981206

Assessing climate anxiety in caretakers and children and ways to overcome it

Baker, C. ., Clayton, S. ., & Bragg, E. . (2021). Educating for resilience: parent and teacher perceptions of children’s emotional needs in response to climate change. Environmental Education Research, 27, 687-705.

Nature-based group art therapy has a positive effect on siblings of children with disabilities

Kang, S. ., Kim, H. ., & Baek, K. . (2021). Effects of nature-based group art therapy programs on stress, self-esteem and changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) in non-disabled siblings of children with disabilities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115912

School parks can serve as a tool for urban heat island adaptation and health promotion.

Lanza, K. ., Alcazar, M. ., Hoelscher, D. M., & Kohl, H. W. , III. (2021). Effects of trees, gardens, and nature trails on heat index and child health: Design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project. BMC Public Health, 21. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-10128-2

Undergraduate program designers can develop impactful experiences by considering program and landscape features that affect student learning

Bieluch, K. H., Sclafani, A. ., Bolger, D. T., & Cox, M. . (2021). Emergent learning outcomes from a complex learning landscape. Environmental Education Research, 27(10), 1467-1486. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.1947985

Integrating Navajo traditions into the school's nutrition and gardening lessons may help reduce obesity among Navajo children

Ornelas, I. J., Rudd, K. ., Bishop, S. ., Deschenie, D. ., Brown, F. ., Lombard, K. ., & Beresford, S. A. A. (2021). Engaging school and family in Navajo gardening for health: Development of the Yéego intervention to promote healthy eating among Navajo children. Health Behavior and Policy Review, 8, 212-222. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.3.3

Nature-focused mindfulness activities can promote children’s nature connection and affective wellbeing

Barrable, A. ., Booth, D. ., Adams, D. ., & Beachamp, G. . (2021). Enhancing nature connection and positive affect in children through mindful engagement with natural environments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094785

Measuring environmental behaviors and attitudes in higher education students from Portugal

Sousa, S. ., Correia, E. ., Leite, J. ., & Viseu, C. . (2021). Environmental knowledge, attitudes and behavior of higher education students: a case study in Portugal. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 30(4), 348-365. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2020.1838122

Schools can help mitigate environmental injustices suffered by low-income, high minority communities by increasing greenness on their property

Zhang, Z. ., Martin, K. L., Stevenson, K. T., & Yao, Y. . (2021). Equally green? Understanding the distribution of urban green infrastructure across student demographics in four public school districts in North Carolina, USA. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 67. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127434

Singapore, a highly compact city, provides equitable access to urban green and blue spaces

Nghiem, T. P. L., Zhang, Y. ., R. Y. Oh, R. ., Chang, C. ., L. Y. Tan, C. ., Shannahan, D. F., … Carrasco, R. . (2021). Equity in green and blue spaces availability in Singapore. Landscape and Urban Planning, 210. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104083

Use of a field-tested evaluation protocol can augment the evidence base for the green schoolyard movement as a health-promotion strategy

Gerstein, D. E., Bates, C. R., & Bohnert, A. M. (2021). Evaluating a green schoolyard transformation: A protocol utilizing the RE-AIM framework. Children, Youth and Environments, 31, 187-198. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.31.1.0187

Short field trips can improve environmental knowledge in urban middle schoolers

Hoover, K. S. (2021). Evaluating impacts of a wetland field trip: a case study with urban middle school students. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 20, 203-220.

Higher income US neighborhoods had more health-promoting features before the COVID-19 pandemic and more positive changes during the outbreak

Yang, Y. ., & Xiang, X. . (2021). Examine the associations between perceived neighborhood conditions, physical activity, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health & Place, 67. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102505

Outdoor family activities can reinforce Latinx family relationships and cultural heritage

Izenstark, D. ., Crossman, K. A., & Middaugh, E. . (2021). Examining family-based nature activities among Latinx students: Contexts for reinforcing family relationships and cultural heritage. Annals of Leisure Research. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2021.1949733

Climate change film positively impacts student responses to climate change

Bondi, B. A., Monani, S. B., Principato, S. ., & Barlett, C. . (2021). Examining the impact of climate change film as an educational tool. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 20, 221-237.

Hands-on experience broadens high school students' understanding of interdisciplinary environmental careers and increases personal resilience

Gupta, R. ., LaMarca, N. ., Rank, S. J., Flinner, K. ., & Ardalan, N. . (2021). Expanding high school youth’s perceptions of environmental careers and resilience development through conservation education. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 20, 376-392.

Simply providing nature-rich areas in schoolyards cannot guarantee the use of natural spaces by children and teachers

Zhang, Z. ., Stevenson, K. T., & Martin, K. L. (2021). Exploring geographical, curricular, and demographic factors of nature use by children in urban schoolyards in Raleigh, NC, USA. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 65. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127323

Filmmaking program positively impacts student's perceptions of climate change and resiliency

Leckey, E. H., Littrell, M. K., Okochi, C. ., González-Bascó, I. ., Gold, A. ., & Rosales-Collins, S. . (2021). Exploring local environmental change through filmmaking: The Lentes en Cambio Climático program. The Journal of Environmental Education, 52, 207-222.

Limits to risky play at preschool include teachers' reluctance, lack of affordances, and safety regulations

LeMasters, A. C., & Vandermaas-Peeler, M. . (2021). Exploring outdoor play: A mixed-methods study of the quality of preschool play environments and teacher perceptions of risky play. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2021.1925564

Extinction Studies encourages curiosity and story-making in children

Gobby, B. ., Merewether, J. ., & Nykiel, A. . (2021). Extinction, education and the curious practice of visiting thrombolites. Environmental Education Research, 27, 217-233.

Forest therapy is more effective in preventing or treating depression than alternative interventions

Rosa, C. D., Larson, L. R., Collado, S. ., & Profice, C. C. (2021). Forest therapy can prevent and treat depression: Evidence from meta-analyses. Urban Forestry &Amp; Urban Greening, 57. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126943

Regular field trips in elementary schools build connection with the more-than-human world

Stapleton, S. R., & Lynch, K. . (2021). Fostering relationships between elementary students and the more-than-human world using movement and stillness. The Journal of Environmental Education, 52, 272-289.

Climate-themed student films emphasize individual behavior change instead of structural changes

Tayne, K. ., Littrell, M. K., Okochi, C. ., Gold, A. U., & Leckey, E. . (2021). Framing action in a youth climate change filmmaking program: hope, agency, and action across scales. Environmental Education Research, 27, 706-726.

Climate change messages framed in an economic lens increase students' environmental awareness and decision-making

Kang, J. ., & Hong, J. H. (2021). Framing effect of environmental cost information on environmental awareness among high school students. Environmental Education Research, 27(6), 936-953. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.1928607

High school students' attitudes towards geography education are linked to teaching and career opportunities

Opoku, F. ., Serbeh, R. ., & Amoah, E. G. (2021). Geography education in perspective: an enquiry into Ghanaian senior high school students’ positive and negative attitudes towards geography. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 30(1), 39-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2020.1727115

A new urban design index integrates the ecosystem service approach into urban planning for socially sustainable development

Ring, Z. ., Damyanovic, D. ., & Reinwald, F. . (2021). Green and open space factor Vienna: A steering and evaluation tool for urban green infrastructure. Urban Forestry &Amp; Urban Greening. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127131

Green schoolyards may be “particularly powerful drivers of health equity by promoting well‐being at the level of the individual, school, and community.”

Bohnert, A. M., Nicholson, L. M., Mertz, L. ., Bates, C. R., & Gerstein, D. E. (2021). Green schoolyard renovations in low-income urban neighborhoods: Benefits to students, schools, and the surrounding community. American Journal of Community Psychology, 1-11. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12559

Strategic greenspace planning can play an important role in promoting health equity

Rigolon, A. ., Browning, M. H. E. M., McAnirlin, O. ., & Yoon, H. . (2021). Green space and health equity: A systematic review on the potential of green space to reduce health disparities. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 18, 1-27. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052563

Trees on and near school grounds are positively linked to academic achievement of sixth-grade students

Kuo, M. ., Klein, S. E., Browning, M. H., & Zaplatosch, J. . (2021). Greening for academic achievement: Prioritizing what to plant and where. Landscape and Urban Planning, 206. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103962

Higher school-based greenness levels in China are associated with healthier weight in children and adolescents

Bao, W. ., Yang, B. ., Zou, Z. ., Ma, J. ., Jing, J. ., Wang, H. ., … Guo, Y. . (2021). Greenness surrounding schools and adisposity in children and adolescents: Findings from a national population-based study in China. Environmental Research, 192. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110289

Finnish adolescents view a positive relationship between nature and happiness

Hakokongas, E. ., & Puhakka, R. . (2021). Happiness from nature? Adolescents’ conceptions of the relation between happiness and nature in Finland. Leisure Sciences. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2021.1877584

The perceived sensory dimensions of nature, refuge, and prospect in urban environments are positively linked to teen mental health

Akpinar, A. . (2021). How perceived sensory dimensions of urban green spaces are associated with teenagers’ perceived restoration, stress, and mental health?. Landscape and Urban Planning, 214. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104185

Zoos can increase wildlife conservation attitudes in visitors

Kleespies, M. W., Montes, N. Álvarez, Bambach, A. M., Gricar, E. ., Wenzel, V. ., & Dierkes, P. W. (2021). Identifying factors influencing attitudes towards species conservation - a transnational study in the context of zoos. Environmental Education Research, 27(10), 1421-1439. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.1927993

A nature-based guidance program was effective at reducing anxiety among third grade students

Rıan, S. W., & Coll, K. M. (2021). Increased exposure to nature reduces elementary students’ anxiety. Ecopsychology. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/eco.2020.0070

Lack of time is teachers' largest obstacle to participating in climate change professional development

Ennes, M. ., Lawson, D. F., Stevenson, K. T., Peterson, N. ., & Jones, G. . (2021). It’s about time: perceived barriers to in-service teacher climate change professional development. Environmental Education Research, 27, 762-778.

The role of justice in environmental education, science education, and social science

Forsythe, M. E., & Chan, Y.-W. . (2021). Justice-centered education amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Journal of Environmental Education, 52, 347-357.

Review of the literature reveals considerable – but inconsistent – evidence of positive associations between children's interaction with nature and their socioemotional development.

Mygind, L. ., Kurtzhals, M. ., Nowell, C. ., Melby, P. S., Stevenson, M. P., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. ., … Enticott, P. G. (2021). Landscapes of becoming social: A systematic review of evidence for associations and pathways between interactions with nature and socioemotional development in children. Environment International, 146. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106238

Curriculum enrichment can benefit a local community's response to climate change

Duggan, G. L., Jarre, A. ., & Murray, G. . (2021). Learning for change: Integrated teaching modules and situated learning for marine social-ecological systems change. The Journal of Environmental Education, 52, 118-132.

A review of the literature finds that early nature exposure can contribute to later-life mental health

Li, D. ., Menotti, T. ., Ding, Y. ., & Wells, N. M. (2021). Life course nature exposure and mental health outcomes: A systematic review and future directions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105146

Characteristics of urban green space positively linked to human well-being include structure, biodiversity, and naturalness

Reyes-Riveros, R. ., Altamirano, A. ., Barrera, F. D. L., Rozas-Vasquez, D. ., Vieli, L. ., & Meli, P. . (2021). Linking public urban green spaces and human well-being: A systematic review. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 61. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127105

Teachers and students identify multiple benefits of regular opportunities for self-directed outdoor learning

Berg, S. ., Bradford, B. ., Barrett, J. ., Robinson, D. B., Camara, F. ., & Perry, T. . (2021). Meaning-making of student experiences during outdoor exploration time. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 21, 172-183. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2020.1769694

New school-based environmental education curriculum increased environmental knowledge and attitudes

Cook, E. L., & Ormsby, A. A. (2021). Measuring and developing ecological literacy to conserve the critically endangered Mariana Crow. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 20, 288-300.

Attention and stress outcomes in children as they relate to responses to green space settings should be carefully reviewed and interpreted

Barger, B. ., Torquati, J. ., Larson, L. R., Bartz, J. M., Johnson-Gaither, C. ., Gardner, A. ., … Murray, M. . (2021). Measuring green space effects on attention and stress in children and youth: A scoping review. Children, Youth and Environments, 31, 1-54. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.31.1.0001