Natural observations in school gardens paired with student-initiated activities are effective in enhancing connection to natureThe development of an interest in nature early in life is essential to understanding and appreciating the natural environment and is linked to pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors in adulthood. Given that children are spending less time in natural environments, it is important to identify approaches that can support children’s interest in nature. This study examined how participation in learning activities in a school garden influenced children’s interest in nature. Specifically, the study investigated how three different school gardening interventions facilitated children’s individual interest in nature. The study also aimed to identify the factors that supported the development of interest in nature. Particular attention was given to three factors that may drive the development of interest in children: novelty (new or different experiences that stimulate curiosity), scaffolding (supports that promote children's cognition), and autonomy (children acting on their own interests).
The study was conducted at a primary school in China with 24 students (age 9-11) in the fourth grade. The students opted to participate in a science and nature club that used the school garden to support learning about plants, animals and the environment. The students were randomly assigned to three different treatments or interventions: (1) natural observation with assigned tasks (students observed nature and then completed tasks or questions developed by the teacher); (2) natural observation with open-ended tasks (students observed nature and then developed and investigated their own questions); and (3) inquiry-based activity (students directed their own experiment). Students participated in their respective interventions for 40 minutes each week for a duration of eight weeks. The school garden covered an area of 700 square meters and contained 117 species of plants. The garden was designed as small-scale botanical garden and featured areas for native tree restoration, culturally important plants, and plants with unique adaptations, among others. Data collection and analysis employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Students’ individual interest (preference for nature in general) was evaluated before, during, immediately after the program and 4 months after the program with the Individual Interest Questionnaire. Students’ situational interest (immediate interest related to a specific situation) was evaluated after each garden activity for a total of eight assessments using an adapted situational interest scale. Both questionnaires included open-ended questions. Students also participated in two semi-structured interviews. The first interview was conducted immediately after the program concluded and the second interview was held four months later.
On average, students reported high situational interest after each activity consistently across all three treatments. A significant relationship was found between situational interest after each activity and individual interest at the end of the program. Students with higher situational interest after each activity were more likely to show higher individual interest at the end of the program. For treatment group 2, natural observation with open-ended tasks, individual interest increased significantly during the first half of the program. The other two treatment groups did not show significant improvements in individual interest during the program. Analysis across the three treatment groups revealed that the individual interest of treatment group 2 experienced significant gains in comparison to treatment group 1. Findings regarding changes in children's interest in nature <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">r</span>evealed that the majority of students (71%), who were classified as ‘interest initiated’ or ‘interest enhanced' demonstrated increased levels of interest in nature during participation in the program. Six students indicated that their interest in nature was not impacted and were classified as ‘interest with no significant change.’ Significant differences were found in the proportion of children in the three interest types between the two natural observation groups and the inquiry-based group, in that the inquiry-based group (treatment 3) had more students classified as ‘interest with no significant change.’ Regarding the factors influential in the development of interest, analysis highlighted the importance of novelty, scaffolding, autonomy and social interaction. The school garden was found to be a novel experience that enabled autonomous learning and exploration that was supported through teacher scaffolding. Socialization also encouraged students’ interest and deepened their sense of competence and achievement. Finally, data collected four months after the conclusion of the program revealed that, in general, individual interest in nature decreased. However, some children maintained or increased their interest in nature.
Overall, the study found that school gardens, when paired with teaching interventions, can engage students’ situational interest in specific elements of nature, such as plants or insects, which may support the development of longer-lasting individual interest in nature. The processes that encouraged interest in nature—novel garden experiences, teacher guidance through scaffolding, autonomous exploration, and peer interaction—stimulated students’ curiosity and enjoyment of learning. Results suggest that interventions that combine nature observation with open-ended tasks may be most effective. The researchers conclude that school gardens “have the potential to awaken the inherent interest in nature that every student possesses.”
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