School garden and instructional interventions foster children's interest in nature

Abstract

Abstract Children's interest in nature is crucial for their understanding and appreciation of the natural environment, as well as for their mental health and biodiversity conservation efforts. To foster this interest, it is important to establish a theoretical framework and explore practical applications. Given the current trend of children spending more time with screens and less time in nature, school gardens offer potential solutions. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a 4‐month teaching programme conducted in a school garden to promote children's individual interest in nature. 24 Grade‐4 students participated in weekly 40‐min activities, which were divided into three treatments: natural observation with assigned tasks, natural observation with open‐ended tasks and inquiry‐based activities. Participants maintained individual portfolios consisting of questionnaires, nature journals, observation descriptions and interviews. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed to categorize children into three types: those with initiated interest, those with enhanced interest and those with no significant change. Thematic analysis was used to identify factors influencing children's interest in nature based on qualitative data. The results showed that 17 out of 24 children were classified as either ‘interest‐initiated’ or ‘interest‐enhanced’, indicating a generally positive outcome. The school garden provided a novel and safe environment that empowered children to learn and explore autonomously. Teacher scaffolding further supported their curiosity towards the garden's organisms, potentially leading to the development of their individual interests in nature. This study emphasizes the positive impact of involving children in garden‐based activities in primary schools. Implementing a diverse school garden with informative labels and explanation boards, along with teacher support, represents a promising approach to cultivating children's interest in nature. We recommend implementing mini botanical gardens and club activities in schools to bridge formal and informal education. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.