The unrealised potential of school grounds in Britain to monitor and improve biodiversity

Harvey, Deborah; Gange, Alan C.; Harvey, Hannah

doi:10.1080/00958964.2019.1693330

Cited by 12 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…In this context, school grounds are of special relevance as optimal places to provide early contact with nature, to promote a better understanding of biodiversity and to involve schoolchildren in environmental education [11]. In this regard, some regulations in Europe recommend that 0.5 m 2 per pupil should be set aside on the school premises for natural habitats including, for example, untreated grassed areas, gardening areas, pods, meadowlands, planted borders and trees [12]. These ideas connect with recent research that highlights the fact that the outdoor environment surrounding schools might have a beneficial effect on students' academic performance [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s Pictorial Expression of Plant Life and Its Connection with School-Based Greenness

2021

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Previous research highlights the positive influence that experiences in nature have on children’s physical, emotional and conceptual development. There is also evidence that indicates that the availability of green areas on school grounds is associated with pupils’ better academic performance as well as with their comprehension of wildlife. This study examines the drawings that 152 children completed with the objective of expressing their understanding of the plant world. Approximately half of the drawings were depicted by children that attend a school with green areas within the school site as well as in the surrounding area. The remaining half of the sample includes the illustrations that children attending an educational centre with, virtually, no green areas within the school premises or in the immediate vicinity. Notwithstanding the fact that the two schools involved in the study belong to a similar social context and they are relatively close to each other, the results show relevant differences between the drawings by the two groups compared, in terms of the pictorial content and the utilisation of colour. The results are discussed in light of the growing number of studies that emphasise the positive impact that close contact with nature has on children’s everyday life at school.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s Pictorial Expression of Plant Life and Its Connection with School-Based Greenness

2021

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“…In addition, there has been growing movement of outdoor learning in recent government investments, including Nature Friendly Schools (The Wildlife Trusts, 2019) to support schools in increasing children's opportunities to learn outside the classroom. However, a recent study of school grounds and their use to support biodiversity conservation and children's environmental education revealed that British schools are under-using their grounds to provide habitats and environmental education (Harvey et al , 2020). Therefore, planning and designing child-centred outdoor spaces in schools is crucial nowadays.…”

Section: Studies and Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biophilic design patterns (Ryan et al, 2014) can be used in school grounds for greater connectivity between outdoor spaces and nature. A recent research on child-nature-distance studies that measures children's experiences of nature within three primary school spaces in Scotland, highlights well-designed educational environments are crucial to supporting the proximity to nature, particularly in the early years of schooling (To and Grierson, 2019 British schools are under-using their grounds to provide habitats and environmental education (Harvey et al, 2020). Therefore, planning and designing child-centred outdoor spaces in schools is crucial nowadays.…”

Section: School Garden Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary school design: co-creation with children

Ghaziani

2020

ARCH

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PurposeThe school environment affects children's health, emotions and learning. The good design of school buildings makes these places more pleasant and more functional. Children's views are important and need to be more effectively integrated in the school design project, especially after the pandemic as many schools had to re-design their spaces. However, there are challenges for academics, designers and policymakers in determining which methods are appropriate for listening to children's views and ensuring their effective participation. The study aims to evaluate the different ways in which children could get involved in designing schools, and to identify spatial design trends from the perspective of the children.Design/methodology/approachFor this study, qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. Various data collection techniques were drawings, model making and questionnaires. The empirical study was undertaken by 120 children (8–10 years old), who designed three spaces in two Primary Schools in England.FindingsThis paper discusses the change in use of spaces for current and future (post-COVID) school design and the need for multi-purpose spaces that can flip form one to another. The findings highlight the importance of involving children in the school design process that could then inform the decision-making processes of architects and designers. The findings would have implications for school design practice, demonstrating how research can be embedded in primary schools to evaluate the quality of indoor and outdoor spaces.Research limitations/implicationsMore research focusing on diverse spaces, various age groups and in different primary schools would provide reliable and age-appropriate guideline for future school design. It is recommended to gather children's and teachers' views related to the changes that primary schools in the UK have applied in response to the pandemic since June 2020 to assess the impact of social distancing in various indoor and outdoor spaces.Originality/valueThe study is a response to effective involvement of children in school design process as the main user. By identifying appropriate methods to gather children's views, the gap between academics, designers and policymakers can be bridged, especially for innovative post-COVID design of primary schools with radical changes. The study also highlights children's views for design of outdoor and indoor multi-functional spaces and suggests some post-pandemic design considerations to respond to children's preferences as well as their health and well-being.

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“…We can also find initiatives that encourage individual responsibility in relation to consumption [86][87][88], to transport [89] or to energy use [90]. In addition, of course, there are numerous published proposals based on the study of socio-environmental problems that can help fight scepticism and promote awareness of the origin of socio-environmental problems [91][92][93].…”

Section: Educational Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Challenge of Global Environmental Change: Attitudinal Trends in Teachers-In-Training

et al. 2021

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The aim of our research was to study attitudinal trends in Spanish trainee teachers regarding Global Environmental Change (GEC), in order to identify elements that should be enhanced in their education. The Scale of Global Environmental Change (SGEC) was used as a measurement instrument to explore attitudes on how to deal with GEC. A cluster analysis of the scores of the four SGEC factors (N = 950) was carried out in order to segment the cases into groups of similar response profiles. Two solutions are proposed: one made up of two clusters (Concerned and Disengaged) and the other of four clusters (Egocentric, Indifferent, Sceptical and Committed). Furthermore, we have analysed whether some of the students’ characteristics significantly influence their inclusion in one cluster or another. The results of this study show that among trainee teachers there are sceptical, self-centered and indifferent trends, which do not correspond to people capable of promoting the transformation needed to deal with GEC. Therefore, it is necessary to improve their training with new educational models that favour the recognition of the real origin of socio-environmental problems and provide them with skills to promote individual and social responsibility.

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The unrealised potential of school grounds in Britain to monitor and improve biodiversity

Cited by 12 publications

References 40 publications

Children’s Pictorial Expression of Plant Life and Its Connection with School-Based Greenness

Children’s Pictorial Expression of Plant Life and Its Connection with School-Based Greenness

Primary school design: co-creation with children

The Challenge of Global Environmental Change: Attitudinal Trends in Teachers-In-Training

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