Reconnecting Children with Nature: Foundation and Growth of the Nature Schools Movement in Iran

Abstract

The Nature Schools movement in Iran commenced in 2014 and expanded steadily for half a decade, growing to almost 100 schools. Emulating similar educational inititives in Europe and North America, Nature Schools offered outdoor educational experiences for pre-school and primary school years, spreading across both metropolitan and regional Iran. Before the first Nature Schools were started, detailed initial planning between academics and the government Environment Department and Education Ministry was undertaken which projected the roll-out of many more Nature Schools. The results of this study demonstrated that the establishment and growth pattern of the Iranian Nature Schools had different causes stimulating its commencement, how these schools released a new pedagogical practice for teachers, children and their families and how this movement offered an alternative curriculum in nature with school children outdoors. Thus, despite the eclipse of the Nature School movement, a longer time-frame indicates positive aspects, including the establishment of green or eco-schools and the institutionalization of the environmental focus in pre-school education. Many educators saw Nature Schools benefitting students' personal learning and academic development. Political concerns after several years of growth led to some closures and slowing down of the growth of Nature Schools in 2018-19. At the same time, a new national environmental curriculum was being embedded across all age-levels of schooling in Iran.

Lessons of the Pandemic for Family and School—The Challenges and Prospects of Network Education

“…The structure of learning interactions underwent great pressure due to the sharply increased demand for an individual approach to the pupils, especially to those with health limitations [32][33][34][35][36]. The teacher's work and his/her communication with the pupils have become unprecedentedly open to the attention of parents.…”

Blue Ocean Strategy: Review of Applications at Nature Elementary School Purwakarta

“…Research has shown that spending time in nature can improve cognitive function, increase creativity, reduce stress, and improve physical health (Muafiah, Afifah, Nurohman, Huda, & Siswadi, 2021). Nature-based learning can also foster a sense of connectedness and responsibility to the environment, as well as helping students develop skills such as problem solving, teamwork and critical thinking (Burns & Manouchehri, 2021).…”

Animation video design as promotion for nature school as habituation of green lifestyle

“…The nature school concept is adopted in several countries, including Ireland, Iran and the UK. For example, the existence of nature schools in Iran is based on the fact that urban areas as a result of modernization, do not effectively support child presence and activities (Burns and Manouchehri, 2021). Burns and Manouchehri, 2021).…”

“…For example, the existence of nature schools in Iran is based on the fact that urban areas as a result of modernization, do not effectively support child presence and activities (Burns and Manouchehri, 2021). Burns and Manouchehri, 2021). Due to the capital's and other major cities' high air pollution levels, declining urban green spaces brought on by land use change, and water shortages, schools have been forced to close (Staff, 2017;Novo, 2019).…”