Quality environmental educational programming, time outdoors, and teacher training predict environmental literacy
Building environmental literacy (EL) in young people is important in meeting emerging environmental challenges.
Building environmental literacy (EL) in young people is important in meeting emerging environmental challenges.
This study examined two nature-based, early childhood, outdoor classroom educational programs: Nature Explore & The Outdoor Classroom Project. The purpose was to determine the extent to which these programs were satisfying their desired educational and developmental goals.
This comprehensive literature review was conducted on research published from the 1970s to 2015 focusing on ways contact with nature contributes to the health and well-being of children. One distinguishing feature of this review is the way it presents related research in the context of changing research approaches. It does this, in part, by addressing the question of how different research questions and methods shape our understanding of the benefits of children's access to nature.
A longitudinal, randomized controlled trial examined the effects of a school garden intervention on the science knowledge of low-income elementary school children. The intervention consisted of both gardening experiences and related lessons extending over a two-year period. Participants were 25 second, fourth, and fifth grade students in 49 schools located in four different states in the U.S. Schools participating in the study represented rural, suburban, and urban areas.
The authors of this study demonstrated how an Arts in Education (AiE) approach could be used to enhance learning about environmental issues in the context of students' own cultural heritage. The students, in this case, attended a rural primary school in the Kgalagari region of Botswana. While most of the students were of BaKgalagari heritage, the teachers were not. The school's culture or teaching and learning reflected a Eurocentric curriculum which was not consistent with the students' ethnic background.
Barriers to outdoor learning, from weather to school day structure, have been documented. The authors of this study suggest that the reluctance of teachers to take students outside may also relate to potential changes in interpersonal behavior and relationships that might occur by moving to a novel, outdoor space. This study examined the shared outdoor learning experiences of teachers and students to understand the potential impact on the teacher-student relationship.
Forest School is an initiative that gives children a means to substantially engage in hands-on learning in a natural environment. Well known in Scandinavia, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Forest School is often incorporated into mainstream preschool and elementary schools where children access local woodlands during the school day to engage in nature-based activities that support healthy development.
A systematic literature review was conducted on research related to the benefits of time in nature for children under twelve years old. Inclusion criteria of the review included peer-reviewed research published in English between 1990 and 2011 that had a robust methodology and focused on children's experiences in nearby nature. These criteria yielded 61 studies that were categorized based on the specific benefits that were addressed in the research.
A strategy in green school yard interventions is the early and continuous input of students in the planning, design and implementation process. One such approach known as community based participatory research (CBPR) was utilized by a team of researchers, landscape architects, and environmental educators to implement a school revitalization program in Detroit, Michigan.
Research indicates spending time in natural areas contributes to increased restoration, physical health, overall well-being, and cognitive functioning. For children, schoolyards can provide much needed access to natural restorative environments. The current study aimed to measure the effects of redesigning a schoolyard on measures of students' psychological well-being, physiological stress, cognitive executive functioning and perception of restoration.