Here’s the second of two August updates from Natural England by way of relevant evidence and reports, policy agenda developments, large scale delivery sector initiatives, resources and news items from the UK and abroad, with a focus on schools, education and learning. This supports the Strategic Research Network for People and Nature to develop better coherence and collaboration in research and to improve links between research, policy and practice in these areas.
Children and Nature Network Research Digest.
Play equity
School’s out and kids are starting to think about summer fun. For some, that means parks and playgrounds and exploring nearby nature with friends or family. But not all children have these opportunities. Some children, especially children of colour, do not have the same access to play, in quality playspaces where they feel accepted and included. Play is a developmental necessity with physical, emotional and social benefits, and all children deserve quality play opportunities.
‘There are plenty of opportunities for play and learning’ – Swedish preschool teachers’ perspectives on using the outdoor environment as a pedagogical resource.
E Catucci et al. – Cogent Education.
This study examines five preschool teachers’ narratives about using the outdoor environment as a pedagogical resource for children’s play, learning and experiences in Swedish preschools. Participants were asked to reflect on both opportunities and challenges in outdoor play and learning. The present study responds to the need for further research on how the outdoor environment is used in daily pedagogical practice through the lens of preschool teachers’ own descriptions. The study is built on interpretive qualitative research, a form of narrative inquiry that uses concepts such as place and didactic sensitivity in the analysis. The findings show how the participants highlight many opportunities for children to engage in play and learning activities in the outdoor environment. The importance of educators’ involvement and pedagogical commitment is also emphasised. However, constraints related to lack of variation, access, and teacher commitment are clearly identified as hindering the use of the outdoor environment as a pedagogical resource.
The impacts of environmental education on homeschoolers’ attitudes toward nature.
Y Chen and A McCreary – Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning.
Previous research indicates that learners appear to connect with nature and have heightened environmental perceptions after participating in environmental education programs (EEPs). Positive changes in attitudes toward nature are important because they can precede environmentally responsible behaviours, such as individuals’ leadership on environmental issues. Much of the existing EEP research has been conducted in school settings. This exploratory study aimed to contribute to the existing literature by examining changes in homeschoolers’ attitudes toward nature after participating in an EEP. Data was collected through a pre- and post-test quantitative instrument and two qualitative mechanisms and analyzed using independent-samples t-tests and paired-samples t-tests, and content analysis, respectively. Results showed greater connection to nature and positive changes in environmental perceptions for the homeschool participant sample. However, statistically significant changes were limited, and quantitative measures showed little change in homeschoolers’ eco-affinity or behavioural intentions. Recommendations for continued research with the homeschooled community are discussed.
Found in translation – Developing students’ skills and competencies to implement nature-based and place-based outdoor curricula.
H Prince and C Barlow – Chapter in Outdoor Learning in Higher Education.
The development of place-based curricula in schools in North-west England has been supported by knowledge exchange projects at the University of Cumbria. These enhance and augment student and teacher engagement and confidence in teaching and learning outdoors to parallel this curriculum shift. This chapter describes and evaluates student and teacher success in integrating outdoor learning into a mandatory curriculum including innovative approaches to environmental, experiential and outdoor learning. It examines the ways in which the university has embedded new pedagogical approaches, programmes and strategies to engender confidence and capability in students in outdoor learning that have wider applicability in higher education.
The great equalizer – Learning in the outdoors.
P Oprandi – Chapter in Outdoor Learning in Higher Education.
The chapter explores the importance of place and space in learning. It interrogates the history of education, the reach of Western educational practices and the appropriateness of those practices in the context of the challenges individuals and world cultures face today. It argues that experiences of contrived educational environments do not always foster deep learning and may stifle discussion. In contrast, the author investigates learning in outdoor spaces and finds that the outdoors provides new contexts for understanding a topic. The author claims that learning in authentic environments strengthens the relationships students have with the topics and maintains that through the diversification of teaching and learning spaces student learning is made more transferable to real world contexts.
Three- to Six-Year-Olds Demonstration of Connection to Nature at a Montessori School in the Upper Midwest.
N Yates – International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education.
This study aimed to measure to what extent 3- to 6-year-olds demonstrated environmental sensitivity, awareness, and preferences at a nature-based Montessori school in the upper Midwest of the United States and asked if age was an influencing variable. Young children’s connection to nature in these categories was determined using a modified age-appropriate psychological games testing tool, field observations of the types of nature features and activities the children experienced indoors and outdoors, and interviews with the two lead teachers. Results indicated that this cohort of children demonstrated a moderate to strong connection to nature in all three categories. Age was an influencing variable measuring environmental sensitivity and some aspects of environmental awareness, but not environmental preferences regarding where to play. This study adds to the body of work conducted in early childhood education, environmental education, early childhood environmental education for sustainability, and Montessori education.
The Biophilic School: A Critical Synthesis of Evidence-Based Systematic Literature Reviews.
K Fisher – Architecture.
In health and medical environments, the biophilic design hypothesis suggests improved healing and health outcomes when patients have a connection to nature. Emerging evidence indicates that if teachers and students experience a greater sense of health and well-being in the campus environment, they are likely to have better teaching and learning outcomes. To understand this at a deep level, a critical synthesis and analysis of some fifty systematic reviews outlines the significant emerging body of evidence in support of this approach. Key outcomes of this critical synthesis review are that there is compelling evidence of some 70 health and well-being factors being improved though biophilic design. Also, organising an agreed taxonomy of biophilic design and health and well-being elements at a granular level would assist in simplifying and compiling the evidence of the benefits of such an approach to inform school funding, planning, design and operations authorities.
Nature for All: Utilizing the Universal Design Framework to Incorporate Nature-Based Learning Within an Early Childhood Inclusive Classroom.
AE Pikus et al. – TEACHING Exceptional Children.
Experiences with nature are important for children’s development and there are many ways for educators to provide children with exceptionalities opportunities to interact with nature. Children with diverse needs can, and should, have opportunities to interact with nature. This article describes how to apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific evidence on how people learn, to nature-based learning and articulates strategies for educators looking to provide more opportunities for all children to interact with nature, including those with disabilities. These strategies focus on how to incorporate nature within the indoor classroom and engage children with nature outdoors to promote development and learning.