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Article/Info: Children and Young People's mental health - the role of education

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Article/Info: Children and Young People's mental health - the role of education

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Ofsted in the past felt not enough focus was given to personal development and well being.  Mental health and well being should contribute to the overall grade given to a school or college.

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Article/Info: Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto

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Article/Info: Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto

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Not just what we learn but how and where.

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Planning your first Forest School programme - 7 Tips for Forest School session planning

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Research/Report:  Naturally Healthy Devon Schools Report

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Research/Report:  Naturally Healthy Devon Schools Report

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Naturally Healthy Devon Schools shared three project objectives with the original Natural Connections Demonstration Project: to stimulate the demand from schools and teachers for outdoor learning, support them to build outdoor learning into everyday practice and to stimulate the supply of services to enable teachers and schools to do this. It had an additional focus on how learning outside the classroom supports schools to promote healthy outcomes, and so aimed to increase our understanding of both the learning and health benefits of outdoor learnin

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Research/Report:  Education Endowment Fund - Day out boosts writing skills

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Research/Report:  Education Endowment Fund - Day out boosts writing skills

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Trial shows project based on a fun day out boosts writing skills by nine months

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/trial-shows-project-based-on-a-fun-day-out-boosts-writing-skills-by-nine-mo/

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Research/Report:  Student outcomes and natural schooling - Pathways to impact 2016

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Research/Report:  Student outcomes and natural schooling - Pathways to impact 2016

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Research/Report:  Work on the Wild Side - Outdoor learning in schools

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Research/Report:  Work on the Wild Side - Outdoor learning in schools

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"Work on the Wild Side attempts to debunk the myth that outdoor learning and residentials are not  viable teaching mechanisms. As accountability within schools increases and budgets decrease, it is easy to see how outdoor learning can slip down the agenda. This notdeadfish report compiles the evidence demonstrating how schools across the country are using outdoor learning to improve children’s academic attainment and emotional well-being."

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Research/Report:  Derbyshire Public Health Prevention Fund Forest School Project Final Report 2018. Mental and Physical health and well-being and Forest School

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Research/Report:  Derbyshire Public Health Prevention Fund Forest School Project Final Report 2018. Mental and Physical health and well-being and Forest School

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Mental and physical health and well being for Derbyshire Young People Project.

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The benefits of outdoor learning - RESEARCH

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The benefits of outdoor learning - RESEARCH

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Linked here are some research, reports, background information and articles on the benefits of learning beyond the classroom.  The news articles are often drawing from more detailed academic research pieces. When continuing and carrying out your own research and reading make sure the research is:  substantive, authentic and valid.

You might want to consider referencing and including research which examines:
Physical well being.
Psychological and/or emotional health and well being.
Generic Educational Benefits

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Research/Report: Natural Connections Project - Transforming Outdoor Learning in Schools

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Research/Report: Natural Connections Project - Transforming Outdoor Learning in Schools

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Natural Connections, a 4 year demonstration project funded by Defra, Natural England and Historic England and delivered by Plymouth University, was developed in response to research and insight studies into the barriers and benefits of outdoor learning in schools.

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Research / Report:  Measuring the impact of outdoor learning on the physical activity of school age children:  The use of accelerometry

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Research / Report:  Measuring the impact of outdoor learning on the physical activity of school age children:  The use of accelerometry

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Research / Report: From little acorns - environmental action as a source of well-being for schoolchildren

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Research / Report: From little acorns - environmental action as a source of well-being for schoolchildren

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Abstract
Pastoral care in education may take many forms but increasing emphasis on education for sustainable development (ESD) and concern about children's disconnection from nature suggests that our understanding of care should perhaps encompass the more than human world. The study described in this article examines longer term perspectives on well-being and looks at the possible benefits of environmental action for happiness and positive functioning. Considering the role of memory in the reconstruction of a past experience of tree planting, we suggest that well-being is constantly being reframed within the flux of life course and education. From survey responses and subsequent discussion groups in secondary schools exploring such memories, a deeper understanding of what well-being and connectedness to nature mean to young people within this case study is achieved. We note interdependencies between personal and planetary well-being within respondents' reflections and consider whether experiences of environmental action and its positioning as an act of altruism for the greater good might provide a source of positive feelings for young people not only at the time, but through subsequent recollection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

This work was supported by the Big Lottery.

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From little acorns..: environmental action as a source of well-being for schoolchildren

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Abstract Pastoral care in education may take many forms but increasing emphasis on education for sustainable development (ESD) and concern about children's disconnection from nature suggests that our understanding of care should perhaps encompass the more than human world.

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Research / Report:  Health and Social Benefits of Nature

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Research / Report:  Health and Social Benefits of Nature

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Institute for European, Environmental Policy.

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Health and Social Benefits of Nature - Final Report Main sent

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Research / Report:  Social cohesion and well being deriving from woodland activities;  Good from Woods

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Research / Report:  Social cohesion and well being deriving from woodland activities;  Good from Woods

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Research / Report:  Looked after children and the Natural Environment

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Research / Report:  Looked after children and the Natural Environment

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The fostering outside play project report

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LTL looked after children and the natural environment

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Research/Report: Woodland Health For Youth (WHY) An evaluation of physical health benefits derived from outdoor learning in natural environment (LINE) for school-age children.

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Research/Report: Woodland Health For Youth (WHY) An evaluation of physical health benefits derived from outdoor learning in natural environment (LINE) for school-age children.

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Research/Report:  A review of research on School Field Trips and their value in education 2014

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Research/Report:  A review of research on School Field Trips and their value in education 2014

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Research/Report:  A haven of green space: learning from a pilot pre-post evaluation of a school-based social and therapeutic horticulture intervention with children.

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Research/Report:  A haven of green space: learning from a pilot pre-post evaluation of a school-based social and therapeutic horticulture intervention with children.

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Abstract

Background

Research suggests outdoor activity in green spaces is important for children's mental, emotional and social wellbeing. A recognised green space intervention is "Social and Therapeutic Horticulture" (STH). We discuss findings from a pilot STH intervention, "A Haven of Green Space" conducted in North West England. The target group were school children aged 9-15 years experiencing behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. This exploratory study aims to assess the mental wellbeing of the children pre- and post-intervention, and assess the value of the evaluation methods and "Five Ways to Wellbeing" evaluation framework.

Methods

The intervention involved 6 monthly sessions with two horticulturists and a psychotherapist. Sessions were participatory with the development of selected greenspaces at each school directed by the children. Evaluation was situated in the "Five Ways to Wellbeing" framework, using a mixed-methods pre- post-evaluation design. Existing public mental health evaluation methodologies were adapted for use with school children: Mental Well Being Impact Assessment (MWIA) and Wellbeing Check Cards. The MWIA was analysed qualitatively identifying over-arching themes. The quantitative wellbeing check cards were analysed by mean score comparison.

Results

Results were collected from 36 children across the three participating schools, and suggest that the Haven Green Space intervention was associated with improved mental wellbeing. MWIA factors relating to mental wellbeing ("emotional wellbeing" and "self-help") were positively impacted in all three schools. However, findings from the wellbeing check cards challenge this, with worsening scores across many domains.

Conclusions

A key study limitation is the pilot nature of the intervention and challenges in adapting evaluation methods to context and age-range. However, results indicate that group based socially interactive horticulture activities facilitated by trained therapists are associated with positive impacts upon the mental and emotional wellbeing of children experiencing behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Further research is needed to verify this, and to support using the "Five Ways" in intervention development and evaluation. Finally, we recommend continued efforts to develop age-appropriate evaluation methods.

Peer Review reports

Background

Access to green space and nature is recognised to improve the mental wellbeing of children [ 1, 2]. Green spaces are considered to have restorative and relaxing properties enabling an 'escape' from urban living, in addition to providing spaces for exercise [ 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Research demonstrates that the quality of the natural environment positively affects the personal development of children and young people [hereafter referred to collectively as "children"] [ 8, 9, 10]. However, there are concerns about children becoming increasingly distanced from the natural environment [ 2, 11, 12], with reasons for this suggested to include new technologies, safety concerns, and the reduction in quality urban environments [ 2, 13, 14, 15].

Educational and ecological research suggest that outdoor nature play is important for children's mental, emotional and social wellbeing by developing connections to social and physical environments whilst stimulating imagination and creativity [ 10, 16]. Three theories seek to explain the impact of connections to nature upon mental health and wellbeing: Biophilia [ 17], Stress Reduction Theory [ 18] and Attention Restoration Theory [ 19]. The latter two are of therapeutic interest. Stress Reduction Theory [ 18] suggests that particular environments produce certain effects, with perceived "safe" environments triggering positive emotional responses. Attention Restoration Theory [ 19] proposes that nature assists with recovery from attention fatigue, allowing distance from routine activities and thoughts to engage without conscious effort.

The Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe includes a commitment to improving child wellbeing through promotion of physical activity and access to green spaces [ 9], acknowledging the therapeutic benefit of physical activity in green spaces. One form of green space activity recognised for its social and therapeutic benefit across different population groups is horticulture [ 20, 21]. Sempik uses the term "Social and Therapeutic Horticulture" (STH) to describe greenspace-based interventions with vulnerable groups such as those with mental health needs [ 20, 21, 22, 23, 24]. A core feature of Sempik and colleagues is a focus on improving the wellbeing of participants engaged in STH, rather than productive gardening [ 20, 22, 25, 26], in line with Stress Reduction and Attention Restoration theories. Others [ 27, 28, 29, 30, 31], also identify the positive impacts of greenspace and horticulture-based interventions on the mental wellbeing of children.1

This paper discusses findings of a pilot STH intervention, "A Haven of Green Space" (hereafter "Haven Green space"), alongside methodological reflections. Recognising that the terminology surrounding space and place is contested and varies by discipline (for a comprehensive review, see [ 33]), for the purpose of this paper we follow Cresswell [ 34] in adopting a broad definition whereby the "Haven of Green Space" represents place as "a meaningful location" ([ 34] p12). This definition of place entails three elements of [ 1] a location, [ 2] a locale or material setting for interactions, and [ 3] evoking subjective and emotional attachments [ 35]. Therefore, the Haven of Green Space project draws upon both the physical and social connotations of the term "place" [ 33] as engagement with school green spaces involved moving from green space as a blank canvas, to the creation of place through group psychotherapeutic activities such as the everyday practice of caring for nature, the production of art or symbols, and the creation of names, local ceremonies, and myths attached to specific places - all recognised as place-making activities [ 34].

This project was funded by a Primary Care Trust (PCT, since 2012 a Clinical Commissioning Group) and a City Council in the North West of England as part of a large-scale health and wellbeing grants programme. An important funding requirement was to situate the intervention evaluation within the "Five Ways to Wellbeing" framework (hereafter "Five Ways") whose central tenant is to tackle health inequalities through promoting physical and mental health [ 36]. The Five Ways actions seek to influence mental wellbeing by playing an essential role in satisfying needs for positive relationships, personal autonomy, competency and security [ 36]. As an action oriented approach, the Five Ways aim to promote behaviour change by creating feedback loops that encourage people to reflect upon and adopt behaviours that promote wellbeing [ 36]. There is an expanding literature on intervention studies which contribute to the evidence-base for the Five Ways [ 36]. Although developed for adults, the Five Ways has been validated with children, with slight modifications of language to ensure age-appropriateness [ 37].

Haven green space pilot intervention

The Haven Green Space intervention involved monthly sessions over 6 months in which the participating children designed a green space facilitated by two horticulturists and a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) psychotherapist. Each session was two hours long and employed STH and psychotherapeutic techniques to facilitate exploration of environmental and wellbeing themes in line with the five ways. Table 1 illustrates how the five ways are applied within the Haven Green Space intervention.

Haven Green space was supported and steered by an advisory group comprised of academic researchers and experts from the fields of public health, child and adolescent primary mental health care, and education. Advisory group meetings were attended by the research and intervention teams every six weeks to review progress and critically reflect on emerging findings and challenges.

Methods

Pilot evaluation setting

The Haven Green space intervention targeted school children experiencing behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) in three schools in a city in the North West England. Estimates for BESD vary considerably, not least because what constitutes BESD is disputed, making the calculation of prevalence difficult. Visser [ 38] estimates that between 10 and 20% of 4-16 year olds in England experience some degree of BESD that interrupts their social and emotional development. These can lead to psychiatric disorders in later life [ 39, 40]. Haven Green Space aimed to promote positive mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of the children taking part. The intervention evolved out of a similar horticulture project at a secondary school that proved popular and appeared to deliver positive benefits. For Haven Green Space it was decided to pilot the approach in primary as well as secondary schools to reach a wider age range of children.

At the time of the study the ward in which the schools are located suffered high levels of deprivation, as measured by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation compiled by the Government [ 41] . The ward frequently fell within the 5% most deprived areas of the county, including child poverty rates of over 45% - more than double the national average [ 41]. The ward has been identified as an area in need of green infrastructure expansion and early intervention educational programmes to encourage healthy behaviours [ 42]. Across the schools at the time of intervention delivery there was an average of 16% of pupils with a Special Educational Needs (SEN) statement, and around 26% of children for whom English was not their first language [ 43, 44, 45]. The secondary school suffered high rates of absenteeism, almost double the average for English state funded secondary schools [ 46].

Participants

The intervention took place in two primary schools (Schools A and B) and one secondary school (School C) between February and July 2012. These schools were selected as pupils from the primary schools automatically have a place at the secondary school, and existing relationships between the schools and the CAMH therapist involved in intervention delivery was felt to increase opportunities for successful intervention implementation and evaluation.

Haven Green space targeted children in years five and six in the primary schools (aged 9-12), and years seven to nine in the secondary School (aged 12-15). The decision to work with children of a similar age was to ensure similar levels of maturity and educational understanding of the environment and wellbeing. The sampling approach was purposive, with teachers from each school inviting children who had been identified as experiencing BESD through the schools' Pastoral Care Programme to participate in the intervention. This approach sought to remain as close as possible to the anticipated referral process in the natural school setting should the service be adopted into mainstream support services. Therefore, identification and referral was dependent upon the Pastoral Care Programme's knowledge of and engagement with children experiencing difficulties. This approach entailed a conscious decision not to impose identification of children based upon mental health or emotional wellbeing screening tools which would be unlikely to form part of routine practice. Children known to be undergoing treatment with CAMHS were excluded.

Evaluation process

Evaluation aims

The primary aim of the evaluation was to assess whether there were any trends in the mental health and wellbeing of the participating children. In addition, given the central role of the Five Ways, we wanted to explore how existing evaluation and outcome measures might assess the Five Ways in the context of children's wellbeing. To enable this two existing public mental health evaluation methodologies were adapted for use with school children: the Mental Well Being Impact Assessment [ 47] and Wellbeing Check Cards [ 48]. As such, the purpose of this paper is to not only to discuss the evaluation findings, but also to critically reflect on the evaluation approach.

Evaluation design

This exploratory evaluation followed recommendations to conduct small-scale pilot studies [ 49]. As such, it was not powered to assess intervention effectiveness but verify the feasibility of implementing novel interventions, and assess the suitability of research tools and procedures [ 49]. To achieve this a mixed-methods triangulation evaluation design was employed ([ 50] p62) involving the use of qualitative and quantitative methods used concurrently to gather complementary exploratory data relating to the impact of Haven Green Space upon the mental wellbeing of participating children. In order to assess the primary outcome of children's wellbeing the Mental Wellbeing Impact Assessment (MWIA) [ 47] was administered pre- and post-intervention, and the Wellbeing Check Cards [ 48] - based upon the 7-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) [ 51, 52] - were administered at the first and last intervention session. Other methods used include interviewing teachers in each school at the end of the intervention, and asking teachers to complete pre- and post-Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for participating pupils [ 53, 54]; a child self-reporting questionnaire hosted by Puzzled Out2 [ 55]; and Draw and Write journals [ 56]. This paper does not discuss the teacher SDQs or qualitative interviews, or the latter two child focussed methods.

Adaptation and application of evaluation tools for data collection

Qualitative methods

Mental wellbeing impact assessment

The Mental Well-being Impact Assessment (MWIA) is an evidence-based qualitative tool which aims to assess the potential impact of a specific policy, service, project or program on the mental well-being of a population [ 47]. The MWIA covers three domains that an intervention may have an impact on: [ 1] 'Enhancing control', [ 2] 'Increasing Resilience and Community Assets', and [ 3] 'Participation and Social Inclusion' [ 47] . Each domain contains evidence-based factors summarised in Table 2. During the MWIA these factors are plotted on a prioritisation grid according to their importance and the impact the intervention was expected to have upon each (see Fig. 1).

The MWIA aims to be participatory and inclusive, and is designed to be conducted over a full day. To make the toolkit more appropriate for children the MWIA was shortened to 2 h workshops, conducted pre- and post-intervention. Workshops were facilitated by the research team with a focus on two core activities: 1) defining wellbeing; and 2) plotting factors for the three domains onto grids (see Fig. 1). Activities usually conducted in the MWIA, such as appraisal of social determinants of health and the formulation of recommendations, were felt to be too theoretical and abstract for children to engage with, and were therefore removed. Furthermore, time spent on each activity was reduced to better suit the attention span of children and to fit with schools' timetables.

Example grid for domain increasing resilience and community assets from School C

The MWIA workshop opened with children developing a group definition of wellbeing, as recommended in the MWIA toolkit [ 57]. This sought to focus attention of the workshop on defining wellbeing as conceptualised by the participating children. For the factor plotting exercise children were randomly allocated to three groups, one for each domain, and asked to plot the factors for their MWIA domain onto the prioritisation grid (see Fig. 1). Each group was facilitated by a member of the research or intervention team to aid understanding of the exercise. Once completed, prioritisation grids were presented and a plenary discussion was held to establish overall consensus.

Quantitative methods

Wellbeing check cards

Wellbeing check cards (Fig. 2) were part of the North West PCT evaluation toolkit [ 48] to measure mental wellbeing in children under 16 years of age. These are based upon the 7-item version of the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale which is validated for children over 13 years of age [ 58]. In this study the self-rated cards were used with all children (aged 9-15) as part of funder efforts to assess their applicability for younger children.

The cards are an anonymous self-reporting tool that uses a Likert scale across seven statements to track individual mental health and wellbeing. The PCT's adaptation simplified the language and incorporated faces reflecting different emotions in a Likert scale (Fig. 1). The cards were designed to collect data on gender, age and postcode as a means of maintaining anonymity while tracking individual respondents. However, due to the targeted nature of our intervention tracking was not possible because many of the children shared these characteristics.

Participating children were asked to complete the wellbeing check cards during the first and the final gardening session, acting as a pre- post measure. Where this was not possible the cards were completed at the next earliest opportunity and within 1 week of the session.

Ethics

Ethical oversight of the evaluation was provided by the NHS Trust in which the CAMHS psychotherapist worked. Written or verbal informed consent from children's parents was required to participate in the intervention and attached evaluation. In line with the participatory approach to evaluation, children also provided their informed assent to participation in the evaluation, gathered at opening MWIA workshops.

Analysis

Analysis involved separate analysis of the quantitative and qualitative results which are then converged in the discussion to remain in line with the mixed-methods triangulation design [ 50]. The mean score for the pre- and post-intervention wellbeing check cards were summarised and compared offering an exploratory analysis intended to capture associations in trends only.

As a qualitative tool [ 59, 60] the MWIA was analysed by two members of the research team who used a thematic coding process deductively driven by the MWIA themes to identify over-arching themes. MWIA findings were triangulated against other qualitative and quantitative findings which reaffirmed their validity. Finally, the research and intervention teams critically reflected on adaptations of the MWIA to assess its fit with evaluating intervention impact upon the Five Ways, and its appropriateness for children aged 9 to 15 years.

Results

Thirty-six children participated in the Haven Green Space intervention and attached evaluation across three schools. In schools A and B all 12 children invited into the project consented to take part in the intervention and evaluation. In school C, one child chose to opt out after the first session, but had participated in the pre-intervention evaluation session. This child declined to comment about his reasons for opting out. Due to logistical issues (e.g. sickness), between 9 and 12 children from each school were present for each of the pre- and post-evaluation sessions. Table 3 below summarises the gender and social characteristics of the children by school.

Here we present the qualitative findings from the MWIA and the quantitative findings from the Wellbeing Check Cards. In the discussion we also explore how well the MWIA assessed the Five Ways, and reflect upon the tools adaptation and application with children aged 9-15 years.

Qualitative results: MWIA

The MWIA findings are briefly discussed through comparison across schools, noting differences and similarities relating to the importance and impact of the intervention upon factors when plotted onto prioritisation grids (see Fig. 1 for an example prioritisation grid).

Across all three schools the MWIA captured changes in the relative importance and intervention impact upon each factor. In the domain enhancing control the factor "self-help" increased in importance in all three schools, although in school B this remained the least important factor in this domain. The factor "knowledge and skills to make healthy choices" was positively impacted, although in schools C and B it also reduced in importance. In both schools A and B the factor "a sense of control" reduced significantly in importance, whereas in school C this became both more important and was positively impacted by the intervention. Finally, the factor "belief in own capabilities and self-determination" was positively impacted in all three schools, whilst decreasing in importance in Schools A and C.

In the domain increasing resilience and community assets notable factors positively impacted by the intervention were "emotional wellbeing" - in School C and A becoming the most important factor - and "social networks and relationships" - which although decreasing in priority for schools A and C consistently increased in intervention impact. In Schools A and B the factor "arts and creativity" became more important whilst intervention impact remained static, whereas in School C this factor significantly decreased in importance whilst increasing in impact. Across all three schools the factor "healthy lifestyle" decreased in importance. This finding corresponds with decrease in the factor "knowledge and skills to make healthy choices" in the domain enhancing control which decreased in importance in 2 schools. Finally, the factor "ability to understand, think clearly and function socially" increased in importance and impact in Schools A and C whilst decreasing in school B.

In the participation and social inclusion domain a notable finding across all three schools is the factor "having a valued role" which was consistently impacted by the intervention, although it decreased in importance in schools A and B. Similarly, "feeling involved" was consistently impacted, although only increasing in importance in School C. A "sense of belonging" was positively impacted upon in all three schools, with importance remaining static in School C but increasing in schools A and B. The factor, "activities that bring people together" increased in importance in Schools A and B, while in School C this was positively impacted but with no change in importance. Finally, across all three schools the factor "acceptable and accessible services" decreased in priority and remained static in intervention impact.

Quantitative results: Wellbeing check cards

Scores from the Wellbeing check cards pre- and post-intervention across the three schools were not found to be statistically significant (Table 4). However, a number of findings are worth discussing.

The variable 'I feel like I have friends' consistently improved in all three schools. In school C there was general improvement across the statements, except for "I've been able to make my own choices". Conversely, in the primary schools the majority of scores worsen, with the notable exception in School A's improvement in scores under the statement "I've been able to make my own choices".

Discussion

This exploratory evaluation of a pilot intervention sought to assess the mental wellbeing of participating children via a mixed-methods triangulation design, and to assess the value of a range of evaluation methods and the "Five ways to wellbeing" evaluation framework. Findings across evaluation methods suggest that there is potential for interventions such as the Haven of Green Space to benefit the mental health and wellbeing of children with BESD. However, given the pilot nature of the intervention, the lack of a control group, and the small number of participating children, it is not possible to draw any firm conclusions regarding the intervention impact upon mental health and wellbeing. Thus, the discussion aims to integrate key findings in the context of trends that we believe warrant further research. We also critically reflect on the adapted evaluation methods and use of the "Five Ways to Wellbeing" evaluation framework.

Positive trends for pro-social behaviour and emotional symptoms are evident in findings from the MWIA. In particular, MWIA factors relating to mental health and wellbeing positively impacted by the intervention in all three schools included "emotional wellbeing" and "self-help". However, findings from the wellbeing check cards challenge this finding, with worsening scores across many of the domains. The worsening scores may have been influenced by the post assessment coinciding with children's last days at primary school before moving to secondary school, possibly a bitter-sweet and anxiety provoking time. This is supported by low scores in response to the statement "I feel relaxed", particularly in School B; and the sharp decrease in scores under the statement "I feel like I have things to look forward to".

It has been found that children who engage in nature-play have more positive feelings about each other, with natural environments stimulating social interaction [ 62, 63, 64]. Research has furthermore identified that when children play in natural environments their play is more imaginative and creative, in turn promoting language and collaborative skills [ 65, 66, 67, 68], as seen in the "diggy diggy" example in Table 5 (below). These examples similarly represent place-making activities as a location and material setting are imbibed with subjective and emotional attachments through the creation of ritual ceremonies and telling of myths [ 33, 34, 35].

Furthermore, findings support the suggestion that Haven Green Space promoted increased pro-social behaviour, for example the positive impacts upon MWIA factors including "feeling involved", "having a valued role", "sense of belonging" and "social networks and relationships" suggest increased opportunities for positive social interactions. Similarly, improved scores on the wellbeing check cards in response to "I feel like I have friends" suggest increased pro-social behaviour.

Through engagement in group based activities children learn skills of negotiation and team working whilst iteratively exploring broad health issues through sensory responses to different plants and processes of thriving, wellbeing, and achievement [ 57]. These experiences have a concomitant impact upon mental health and wellbeing, affecting individual feelings of control, resilience, participation, and inclusion [ 57]. Haven Green Space as a group based intervention draws on the mental wellbeing and therapeutic benefits of peer interaction and the potential for groups members to be therapeutic agents to each other [ 69]. Consequently, it is possible that Haven Green Space interacted at multiple levels, especially encouraging engagement and interaction to positively impact children's feelings of social connectedness and connection to place [ 34].

Interestingly, MWIA findings suggest that Haven Green Space may have led participants to reassess the primacy of physical health against emotional wellbeing, indicated in consistent decrease in importance of the factors "knowledge and skills to make healthy choices" and "healthy lifestyle". Whilst the importance of these factors decreased, the positive impact the intervention had upon them remained in all three schools. This may signal a positive repositioning given that the intervention sought to support the mental health and wellbeing of participants rather than promote physical exercise.

Evaluation findings are consistent with theories relating to the positive mental wellbeing impacts of social and therapeutic horticulture. In particular, emphasis upon positive emotional responses to green space correlate with Stress Reduction Theory [ 18] and emphasis upon spontaneous directed engagement with nature is supported by Attention Restoration Theory [ 19].

UK government strategies including No Health without Mental Health [ 70, 71] and the Public Health White Paper Healthy Lives, Healthy People [ 72] encourage localised approaches to public health founded upon partnerships that recognise positive mental health as intrinsic to health generally. Having interventions embedded in schools is one form of local partnership working [ 73], reaching vulnerable children by overcoming traditional barriers to service access [ 74, 75]. Haven Green Space not only enabled early intervention within the school context, but preliminary findings indicate positive associations with improvements in children's mental health and wellbeing and social relationships.

Reflection on the five ways

The Five Ways actions were observed to have been met in the Haven Green Space intervention (Table 5). As the examples in the table suggest, to identify and evaluate the Five Ways in an intervention implemented in a complex social setting presents many challenges. For example, the tea ceremony used to illustrate the action "connect" in School C also stimulated "keep learning", "take notice", and "give" as pupils learnt about group dynamics, negotiated conflict resolution, and came to understand the impact of their actions upon others. In light of this complexity it was considered necessary to identify methodologies designed for broad assessment of the impact of this complex intervention upon mental wellbeing.

All methods chosen were felt to assess some or all of the Five Ways. For methods directly involving children focusing upon participatory methodologies [ 76] was felt to be age-appropriate, complementing the Five Ways approach by reinforcing feedback loops as the children actively reflected upon the intervention to identify the impact it had had upon them. These methods were also felt to be consistent with the group intervention approach [ 69].

The MWIA as a tool seeks to assess the relative impact of a service or policy upon mental wellbeing in context, and therefore correlates with the aims of the Five Ways which seek to improve mental wellbeing at community, individual and family levels. We felt the MWIA contained factors that explicitly correspond with many of the five ways, for example "Connect" with "social networks and relationships", and "Be Active" with "healthy lifestyle" (Table 6). In addition, many of the Five Ways actions were implicitly reflected in children's discussion during the MWIA, for example "Keep learning" in recognising that the intervention aimed to encourage knowledge and skills to respond to mental health and wellbeing.

The MWIA as a pre- post-measure encourages reflection on potential impacts the intervention may have upon the factors assessed, thereby suggesting areas where feedback loops may be being established. It has been suggested that emotions are a critical component of these feedback loops, with positive emotions acting to signify the benefits of continuing a behaviour and negative emotions the advantage of stopping it [ 77, 78]. In addition, both the MWIA and the Five Ways explore individual wellbeing from two broad directions: external material and social conditions (i.e. access to services and strength of social networks); and personal resources including emotional and physical health [ 79].

Strengths and limitations

Challenges to measuring the relationship between greenspace and mental wellbeing of children have been recognised [ 80]. This study reinforces the impact of the measurement tool, as well as who is asked - child, parent, or teacher - upon the strength of the association between greenspace and child mental wellbeing, drawing attention to critical issues of research design, whilst supporting approaches that utilise multiple methods and measurements for indicating trends [ 2]. Recognising these challenges, we reflect on some of the strengths and limitations to the approach adopted in this study.

Although the MWIA method and language were adapted, the use of the adult terminology for MWIA factors raises questions about how these were understood by children. While factors were subjectively defined by pupils or explained by facilitators (where required), this introduces a variable into the way they were understood and applied. Despite these limitations the MWIA clearly resonated with children and we would recommend further efforts at age-appropriate adaptation.

The wellbeing check cards were incorporated by the North West PCT to assess the impact of services. When using this tool there was an impression that the questions relating to how each child had been feeling over "the last few weeks" was not appreciated. Instead, responses were felt to reflect how they felt at that moment, thus were heavily impacted by their experiences in specific sessions. Equally, the timing of their administration during the first and last intervention sessions may have affected participant responses. Consequently, this tool is felt to be limited in its intended ability to capture change over time.

A major strength of this study is that it sought to evaluate a school-based intervention to improve wellbeing, using psychotherapeutic and STH techniques in an innovative way. Children were selected on the basis of exhibiting BESD, living in a deprived neighbourhood, with some experiencing additional external events such as seeking asylum. On this basis the STH programme/intervention would be categorised as targeted (rather than universal or indicated). To our knowledge, this is the first reported evaluation of a targeted STH intervention for children. However, as an uncontrolled pilot pre- post- study findings are preliminary and must be interpreted with caution. Furthermore, the lack of validation of Wellbeing Check Cards, and adaptation of the MWIA, are key methodological weaknesses. Despite these limitations preliminary findings from this pilot study have yielded encouraging results about intervention acceptability and positive trends upon the wellbeing of participating children. In addition, methodological reflections warrant further attention to strengthen the methodological tools to assess such interventions in the future.

Conclusion

Evaluation findings suggest that group based horticulture activities facilitated by a trained therapist that acknowledge social interaction as an important driver of wellbeing are features of an intervention that are associated with positive trends in the mental and emotional wellbeing of children experiencing BESD. Further research into the potential offered by interventions such as Haven Green Space is required to verify findings from this exploratory pilot study. In relation to research tools and procedures, continued efforts are recommended to develop age-appropriate methods to assess the impact of interventions on children and young people, and continued exploration of how they interact with the Five Ways to Wellbeing as an overarching evaluation framework.

Notes

1. 1.

The Haven Greenspace project was included in a systematic review conducted by Ohly and colleagues (2016), drawing upon an early magazine article reporting preliminary study findings for a teacher audience. Chiumento, A [ 32]. Haven of Greenspace. Young Minds Magazine. 2012;118(Winter):32-4.. Based on the magazine article Ohly et al. gave the project a poor quality assessment due to failing to meet the reporting standards expected for academic peer review journal articles, standards we believe it was inappropriate to apply to a paper in a practitioner magazine. Recognising this review, we have in this paper sought to ensure this academic publication reports fully on all aspects of the study, including transparent discussion of the study limitations.

2. 2.

Abbreviations

BESD:

Behavioural Emotional and Social Difficulties

CAF:

Common Assessment Framework

CAMHS:

Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services

EHAT:

Early Help Assessment Team

MWIA:

Mental Wellbeing Impact Assessment

OfSTED:

Office for Standards in Education

PCT:

Primary Care Trust

SDQ:

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

SEN:

Special Educational Needs

STH:

Social Therapeutic Horticulture

WEMWBS:

Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the North West PCT who funded the Haven of Greenspace intervention and accompanying evaluation. We would also like to thank intervention facilitators Simon Read and Joanna Turner-Baker of Sowing Success, and members of the Steering Committee for their valuable observations and contributions relating to intervention delivery and to the evaluation methodology and emerging evaluation results. We would like to thank Professor Rhiannon Corcoran, University of Liverpool for her academic input linking psychosocial wellbeing and place. Finally, a special thanks is extended to all participating children and young people for their engagement in the intervention and participation in evaluation activities.

Katie Bristow funded by The National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care North West Coast (NIHR CLAHRC NWC). The views expressed here are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Funding

The project was funded by a Primary Care Trust (now a Clinical Commissioning Group) based in the North West. The funder has had no other input into the project or in writing the paper.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyses during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Author information

Affiliations

1. Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Waterhouse Building Block B Floor 2, Liverpool, L69 3GL, UK

Anna Chiumento & Atif Rahman

2. Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

Ipshita Mukherjee

3. Institute of Transitional Medicine, University of Liverpool, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Eaton Rd, Liverpool, L14 5AB, UK

Jaya Chandna

4. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Eaton Rd, Liverpool, L14 5AB, UK

Carl Dutton

5. Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Waterhouse Building Block B Floor 1, Liverpool, L69 3GL, UK

Katie Bristow

Contributions

AC led the evaluation and worked with IM and JC to collect and analyse the data. CD was the lead practitioner for the "Haven of Greenspace" project. AR and KB were members of the project's steering board. AC and IM worked jointly on early drafts of the paper. AC and KB worked on all the later draft which were then reviewed by AR, CD, IM and JC. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katie Bristow.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Research and Development Office of the NHS trust in which the CAMHS team were embedded independently assessed the study protocol and decided that it warrented classification as a "service evaluation". The evaluation was therefore exempt from requiring ethical committee review and approval. Informed written consent from the children's parents was obtained in the majority of cases. Where the parent's literacy required it, a member of the school staff not associated with the study read out the participant information sheet and signed the parent's verbal agreement on the consent form. This approach was approved by the Research and Development Office of the NHS Trust providing ethical oversight of the service evaluation. In line with the participatory approach to evaluation additional informed verbal assent of the children was gathered at opening MWIA workshops.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher's Note

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A haven of green space: learning from a pilot pre-post evaluation of a school-based social and therapeutic horticulture intervention with children

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Background Research suggests outdoor activity in green spaces is important for children's mental, emotional and social wellbeing. A recognised green space intervention is "Social and Therapeutic Horticulture" (STH). We discuss findings from a pilot STH intervention, "A Haven of Green Space" conducted in North West England.

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Research/Report:  Impacting on young people's emotional wellbeing through Forest School: Breeze Report

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Research/Report:  Impacting on young people's emotional wellbeing through Forest School: Breeze Report

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PROJECT WILD THING SNEAK PREVIEW - The Science of Nature

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Research/Report:  Natural England Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment Children and Young People Report 2017-2018

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Research/Report:  Brilliant residentials and their impact on children, young people and schools

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Brilliant residentials and their impact on children, young people and schools - Paul Hamlyn Foundation

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Since 2009, Learning Away has worked with 60 schools across the UK to develop, test and evaluate what we now describe as 'brilliant residentials'. Residential learning is 'brilliant' when it is led by teachers, co-designed with students, and fully integrated into the curriculum. Our independent evaluators have found that, by working in this way, schools can [...]

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Article/Info: Five ways outdoor education can prepare our students for the future.

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Article/Info: Five ways outdoor education can prepare our students for the future.

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Although largely American in focus with a narrower understanding of outdoor learning than is generally accepted in the UK this article does include some interesting outcomes from outdoor learning backed up with research.

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How Outdoor Education Can Prepare Students For the Future

Must we always teach our children with books?" naturalist David Polis once asked, and then declared: "Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education."

While increased emphasis is being placed on the importance of digital learning to prepare for the future of our society and career opportunities, a growing community is advocating for another educational paradigm-one in which students disconnect from technology and immerse themselves in nature. Outdoor Education can be widely defined, but generally is a form of experiential organised learning that occurs in an outdoor setting and typically involves "journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous, memorable challenges." This style of learning has various benefits, from cultivating the relevant emotional intelligence needed for effective leadership, to developing the confidence and competence needed to persevere in stressful situations. Below we delve deeper into five of these benefits and provide examples, accounts, and research to illustrate them.

Increased Motivation to Learn

Although learning within the four walls of traditional classrooms has its uses, students can often become bored and primarily rely on extrinsic motivation to retain the content being delivered to them. When connecting education to the natural environment, students have context in which to place their learning, and the intrinsic motivation of teamwork and ecological preservation as fuel to increase their desire to study and engage with curriculum. In their study "The Effects of Environment-Based Education on Students' Achievement Motivation," researchers Julie Athman and Martha Monroe studied 400 9th-and-12th-grade students and found that motivation levels for environment-based education were higher than those in traditional classrooms.

Where does this increased sense of motivation come from? Simon Abramson is the Associate Director for Wild Earth, a non-profit in upstate New York that delivers outdoor education programs to young people and adults. He finds that their programs help to develop confidence and competence in students, which further fuels their learning. "We are using nature as a classroom, and students learn things such as 'which plants can you eat? How do you make a shelter that is dry and warm, using only sticks and leaves?' There is a confidence that comes from gaining those skills and realising 'I can take care of myself and find what I need.'" By making a connection between learning and the real world, students feel an increased drive to understand the content they are studying.

Another example of a program that makes learning relevant via outdoor and environmental education is NYC Outward Bound. In once case study, they have utilised the Gowanus Canal, which is located close to several of the schools where their program operates. In a Salon article titled "Outdoor Learning: Education's Next Revolution?" Carol Carpenter, the Communications Director for the organisation, explains: "Students learn about the canal's water quality in science class, about the sociological effects in the humanities classes, and about the canal's design in art class. We believe in field work, in getting out of the classroom and getting your hands dirty."

Cultivation of Awareness

Author and environmentalist Richard Louv published a book in 2011 titled The Nature Principle, in which he argues that outdoor learning works because it "demands better use of the senses." In an 18-month study of 800 military personnel, Louv describes how researchers determined that the best bomb-spotters were people who lived in rural environments and regularly engaged all of their senses. On the other hand, personnel who "were raised on Game Boys" as children did not have the ability to detect nuances in their environment and were focused on the "screen rather than the whole surrounding." According to Louv, natural environments promote "involuntary attention" or "fascination," which enables us to be more alert.

Simon describes how this value is instilled in the educational approach at Wild Earth: "Awareness is the core of how we teach; it's the how. We are literally getting into our senses out in the woods and teaching skills with awareness-expanding games using peripheral vision, sense of hearing, sense of intuition, etc. Ultimately what our students are learning is how to be in the forest so they can know what's happening on the other side of the hill even if they can't see the other side."

As a society, in order to make the shift towards lasting sustainable development, we will need to change the way we live and work. This will require new ways of thinking and shifts in attitudes, so the more education can lend itself to this imperative the better. It requires us to learn new approaches and attitudes for efficient use of our planet's limited resources and get much better at thinking about, and acting on, the long-term consequences of our actions as well as local, national, and global consequences. As a pathway to develop this grander sense of awareness, Simon says that students "begin to see their own impact on the forest. When they enter the forest, the forest changes. We teach how to account for that and how to shift that by asking "How do you walk into the forest in a way that doesn't change everything in the woods?"

"Direct experience of the complex interdependence of life on Earth enables reinforcement of the link between cognitive and affective learning, providing a bridge to advanced understanding," says a report titled Taking Learning Outdoors published by the Scottish Government. "This gives learners a real context to explore, understand, develop and apply the values of wisdom, compassion, integrity and justice."

Leadership & Teamwork

An additional value that outdoor education develops through the cultivation of awareness is a higher state of emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and author of the book Emotional Intelligence, argues that this type of intelligence is a prerequisite for successful leadership. Through interdisciplinary activities used in outdoor education, children and young people can develop and apply their knowledge, understanding, enterprise and organisational skills, creativity, teamwork, and other leadership-based competencies.

Simon has witnessed this development of leadership firsthand, seeing students of their program continually building character, confidence, passion, and perseverance. Alumni of their programs have gone on to become "incredible young adults. They are determined and service-oriented. They know how to improvise and make things happen." He finds that this kind of curriculum "creates really determined, passionate future leaders."

In addition to programs for adolescents and families, Wild Earth runs corporate programs for professionals to build teams and leadership capacities, proving there is no age limit or background that cannot benefit from such programs. Activities such as building fires and shelters and interpreting tracks in the forest create an environment for collaboration, team building, and creative thinking for the teams that participate. In our increasingly digital workforce, Simon reflects that "person to person connection is so important. Out in the woods, we are remembering to make eye contact with each other and speak to each other as other humans."

Resourcefulness

Despite our ancestors' knowing how to hunt for food and build shelters using natural resources, our modern world and urban lives are filled with various apps at our fingertips and the proliferation of supermarkets, and we're losing our intuitive abilities for survival.

Saul Lyons is a 47-year-old artist and educator based in Brooklyn, New York who participated in an 21-day Outward Bound program when he was 17 years old, in which he white-water rafted and mountain climbed in Central Oregon. "I gained basic rafting skills, basic mountaineering skills, basic first aid, team building skills (including games and activities to develop trust and find strengths and weaknesses in a team), and the skill of coping with physical hardship for an extended period of time."

"Rafting and Mountaineering were both interesting skills to learn and helped me understand safety, and increased my awareness of my environment and how to negotiate it. First Aid was essential and helped me be down-to-earth and not risky or take things for granted on the trail and in my life. The team building exercises helped us quickly figure out who should do what and gave us confidence in our abilities as well as encouraging our acceptance of ourselves if we weren't the best at something. Finally, the constant physical work of being outdoors was incredibly confidence boosting. By repeatedly wanting to quit, but pushing through physical difficulty, I felt I could accomplish anything because I had surpassed what I thought I could do many times."

Though many people may not use these specific skills in their day-to-day lives, the confidence is transferrable to many other areas of life in terms of believing in one's self and knowing that you have the skillset to problem-solve when knowledge or resources are limited.

Wellbeing

Wilderness and nature-based educational programs have proven to be transformative when it comes to healing and personal development in students and adults alike. "In today's world with so much complexity and so many crises coming to a head, that connection to more than just ourselves, more than just people, is very important," Simon explains. "Nature is a setting to help us to de-stress and move into a more natural rhythm or pace. There is perspective that is really valuable. Being in nature, time moves at a different rate, it's much slower and grander. Nature gives us a perspective that is humbling as well as a sense of ease and good quality of life."

This sentiment was reinforced in Saul after his experience with Outdoor Bound: "I developed a very strong sense of humility by being on the water and in the mountains. I got a sense of perspective. Nature was not 'out there.' I think we need programs like this and they should be available to more people in order to encourage appreciation for the environment and also to make people sane.'"

A simple Google search for "Wilderness Therapy Programs" will turn up bountiful results for boarding schools, summer programs, and short-term excursions for young people and adults dealing with various mental disorders and challenges, from autism to depression to ADD. This kind of personal learning-in addition to classroom learning-is essential for leadership in the 21st century, and the great outdoors has things it can teach us in all aspects of living and working.

Beyond adolescence, outdoor education is valuable in the career trajectories of many, even if they don't have plans to work in an environmental field. Jared Daar is an alumni of Deep Springs College in California. Deep Springs is a two year program based on a Cattle Ranch in California. The curriculum is made up of academic, self-government, and manual labor. Students spend much of the day between academics doing assigned chores. For example, Jared explained that "in addition to a traditional education 'grounded in the great books,' he worked in the labour program as a dairy farmer and an irrigator, helping to grow the ranch's alfalfa crop."

After graduating from Deep Springs, Jared continued onto Harvard. Since graduating, he has worked at a law firm, far removed from his ranch-hand days. That said, there were "relevant takeaways from this work-most notably, 'the ability to ask questions judiciously' and 'working collaboratively.' Deep Springs, he explained, "'invites you to be self sufficient in a totally different way.'"

In addition to Wild Earth, Outward Bound, and Deep Springs, there are countless programs that demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of intentionally and mindfully integrating core elements of outdoor education in future curriculum for all ages in order to instill increased motivation, awareness, leadership, resourcefulness, and wellbeing.

Weezie Yancey-Siegel is an experienced producer and writer who is passionate about new forms of learning, global citizenship, and community building. She resides in central Mexico, and when not writing and producing events on a freelance basis, she is a Program Manager for GoodWorld Journeys, a learning retreat organisation.

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How Outdoor Education Can Prepare Students For the Future | InformED

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Must we always teach our children with books?" naturalist David Polis once asked, and then declared: "Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning...

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Research/Article: 8 ways Nature helps kids learn

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Research/Article: 8 ways Nature helps kids learn

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Call it parental instincts or call it common sense. Parents know that nature is good for kids.

Yet it was only fairly recently, that the scientific community sought to verify these instincts and observations. Luckily today, it's not hard to find studies that make a claim related to the benefits of nature on children's learning and development. In fact, there are a large number of studies but many are poorly designed and, unfortunately, overreaching in their optimistic claims.

Recently, a team of researchers decided to take action and gain some clarity on the question, "Do nature experiences promote learning and child development?" Supported by a grant from the NSF and a strong network of experts to tap, the team performed a thorough review of a wide array of studies.

The studies covered topics ranging from nature in the inner city, to the study of nature's effects on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or the impact greenness has on test scores. At the end of their deep dive, they answered the question with a resounding "YES!". Nature does promote learning in children in both direct and indirect ways. Nature can help a student feel more attentive, less stressed, more self-disciplined, more engaged, more interested and more physically active and fit. And it can also provide a calmer, quieter, safer, warmer, more cooperative setting for learning.

Author study Cathy Jordan explained in an interview, "We often think about nature or greenery as a pleasant backdrop, but it can be so much more. As my colleagues and I reviewed the published academic literature, we found evidence that nature has a restoring effect on attention; improves self-discipline; reduces stress; increases physical activity and fitness and promotes motivation for and engagement in learning. All of these effects have been shown to improve learning."

One of the most valuable applications of the research was to help explain the mystery of how even small doses of nature can have surprisingly large effects. The key to the puzzle lies in how these effects work together, in a student and in a classroom. Nature exposure might make a student not only more attentive but also less stressed and more interested in learning. And if you have a whole classroom of students who are less stressed and more cooperative, attentive, interested and absorbed, you can begin to see how the individual and classroom level impacts multiply.

The researchers identified these eight distinct pathways through which experiences with nature benefit students.

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8 Ways Nature Helps Kids Learn - Childhood By Nature

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Nature promotes learning in children in both direct and indirect ways. It can help a student feel more attentive, less stressed, more self-disciplined, more engaged, more interested and more physically active and fit.

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Article/Info:  ACEs Pyramid:  The impact on Social, emotional and cognitive impairment.

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Article/Info:  ACEs Pyramid:  The impact on Social, emotional and cognitive impairment.

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The impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences.  https://www.unmc.edu/bhecn/_documents/ace-handout-ne-specific.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/index.html

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Article/Info:  High Quality Outdoor Learning

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Article/Info:  High Quality Outdoor Learning

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The High Quality Outdoor Learning guide clearly outlines the benefits of working in the natural world and has been written to help you evaluate and then set about improving, or further improving, the quality of outdoor learning. It is intended to:

Clearly outline the benefits and outcomes of high quality outdoor learning

Recognise and evaluate high quality outdoor learning

Focus on the delivery of high quality outdoor learning – what it looks like and how to achieve it

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Article/Info:  Stressed Out:  Teens and adults respond differently

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Article/Info:  Stressed Out:  Teens and adults respond differently

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"Data also suggest that teens show greater cognitive impairment when stressed than adults.

Previous work has shown that, under identical stress conditions, teens show greater cortisol release than adults."

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Stressed Out: Teens and Adults Respond Differently

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Stress can be compared with the pressure that a sculptor places on a piece of marble: the right pressure and it becomes a masterpiece, but too much pressure and the marble breaks into pieces. The right amount of stress helps us to meet our goals and to do good work.

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Article/Info: Maths learned best when children move

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Article/Info: Maths learned best when children move

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Children improve at maths when instruction engages their own bodies. This is one of the findings from a recent study coming from the University of Copenhagen's Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports. The results also document that children require individualised learning strategies.

The project investigated whether different types of maths learning strategies changes the way children solves math problems. On the picture mounting of the hood which is used for recording brain activity during solving of maths problems.

Well-being and learning among school age children has a significant impact on how children fare later on in life. Therefore, frameworks for elementary school teaching and learning must be optimised. The 2014 Danish School Reform emphasised physical activity during the primary and lower secondary education years - as apart of academic instruction as well. Researchers from the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports have investigated the effect of different types of primary school mathematics instruction.
It helps to use the whole body
Results from the study underscore that many children improve at maths when their bodies are engaged during instruction, and that maths instruction should be individualised.

"The children learn more if they move and use the whole body to learn", according to head researcher and Associate Professor Jacob Wienecke of the University of Copenhagen's Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports. "Compared to previous studies which demonstrated that intense physical activity could improve learning outcomes, we have been able to show that lower intensity activities are just as effective, or even more effective, as long as movement is integrated into the topic at hand."

After just six weeks of the study, all of the children improved their scores in a standardized fifty question national test. Children whose instruction included whole body activity performed best. Their performance improved by 7.6%, with nearly four more correct responses than the baseline, and twice as much improvement as the sedentary fine motor skills group.
Differentiated instruction is crucial
When children were grouped according to pre study maths performance, the results demonstrated that children with average and above average performance benefitted most from using the entire body in learning. Children who weren't very good at math prior to the study received no particular benefit from the alternative instructional forms.

"We need to keep this in mind when developing new forms of instruction," according to Associate Professor Wienecke, who continues: "The new school reform focuses on, among other things, the incorporation of physical activity during the school day, with the aim of improving the motivation, well-being and learning of ALL children. However, individual understanding must be taken into account. Otherwise, we risk an unfortunate combined outcome in which those who are already proficient advance, and those who have not yet mastered concepts cannot keep up."

The researchers are now investigating which areas of the brain are involved in these various learning strategies. At the same time, researchers will be testing the School Reform's positive effects on other academic skills, such as reading.

Results of the study have just been released in the article, Motor-enriched Learning Activities can Improve Mathematical Performance in Preadolescent Children, published in the internationally renown scientific journal, Frontiers of Human Neuroscience.
About the study
The University of Copenhagen's Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports studied the effect of various instructional types related to mathematics instruction for Danish primary school students. 165 Danish first-grade students, divided among 3 schools in the Copenhagen area participated in a 6-week study.

The children were divided into three groups:

One group used the whole body during mathematics education. Teaching took place on the classroom floor, with tables and chairs set to the side. Students were included in problem solving by, for example, making a triangle or shaping numerals with their bodies, or using one another when being asked to add or subtract.

Another group of students was sedentary and worked on math using fine motor skills. These children worked independently or in small groups using LEGO-bricks in a classroom setting. For example, they used bricks for arithmetic or to build models for solving geometry tasks.

A control group engaged in regular mathematics instruction, using pencils, paper, rulers and the like.

Image source: Via Angelia Sims on Flickr under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Children improve at maths when instruction engages their own bodies. This is one of the findings from a recent study coming from the University of Copenhagen's Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports. The results also document that children require individualised learning strategies.

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Article/Info:  Research finds that a breath of fresh air greatly influences young children’s language development

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Article/Info:  Research finds that a breath of fresh air greatly influences young children’s language development

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Research finds that a breath of fresh air greatly influences young children's language development

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Recent research from the University of Northampton finds that learning outdoors greatly impacts on young children's language development and can, as a result, boost their future attainment. At aged five, the range of vocabulary a child possesses is a significant factor which can influence their later achievements.

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Artcile/Info:  "It's not just the hormones" - The impact of cortisol on children

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Artcile/Info:  "It's not just the hormones" - The impact of cortisol on children

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Is there any hormone link to high-risk choices in teenagers? It is likely not to be testosterone, at least not initially, but the stress hormone, cortisol which returns us to deprivation. Stress during early life raises cortisol levels, so increasing behavioural problems (such as hyperactivity), tending to make children more aggressive, less affiliative and more likely to perceive others as threatening. Stress in either pregnancy or in early life permanently resets the stress response of the child, so that there is an increased reaction to stress - it's called hyperarousal. A stressed child, for instance, when meeting someone new (even in a familiar environment) will withdraw and refuse to make eye contact, rather than chat happily. This increased stress response plays out in reduced life expectancies because cortisol affects almost every body system. It is also closely linked with depressive illness in later life.

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Scientists are discovering the real reasons for the hell of adolescence, writes Vivienne Parry.

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Article/Info: Nurturing Affinity to Nature through Outdoor Learning in Special Places (NANOL)

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Article/Info: Nurturing Affinity to Nature through Outdoor Learning in Special Places (NANOL)

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THE “NURTURING AFFINITY TO NATURE THROUGH OUTDOOR LEARNING IN SPECIAL PLACES (NANOL)” PROJECT SEEKS TO EXPAND LEARNING OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL THROUGH SUPPORTING PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN CREATING LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT ARE LINKED TO THE CURRICULUM AND TO LOCAL NATURAL CONTEXTS.

Funded by the European Commission, the project brings together outdoor and environmental learning centres, National Parks, schools and universities that will work together to construct pedagogical strategies, activities and materials that help enhance school-community links and affinity to nature.  The resources developed will be shared between Spain, Slovenia, Finland, France and the UK. The project started in October 2017 and ends in April 2020.

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The "Nurturing Affinity to Nature through Outdoor Learning in Special Places (NANOL)" project seeks to expand learning outside the school through supporting primary school teachers in creating learning experiences that are linked to the curriculum and to local natural contexts.

Funded by the European Commission, the project brings together outdoor and environmental learning centres, National Parks, schools and universities that will work together to construct pedagogical strategies, activities and materials that help enhance school-community links and affinity to nature. The resources developed will be shared between Spain, Slovenia, Finland, France and the UK. The project started in October 2017 and ends in April 2020.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Funded by the European Commission, the project brings together outdoor and environmental learning centres, National Parks, schools and universities that will work together to construct pedagogical strategies, activities and materials that help enhance school-community links and affinity to nature. The resources developed will be shared between Spain, Slovenia, Finland, France and the UK.

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Article/Info:  The Surprising Benefits of Teaching a Class Outside.  What happens AFTER an outdoor learning experience.  Ongoing benefits:

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Article/Info:  The Surprising Benefits of Teaching a Class Outside.  What happens AFTER an outdoor learning experience.  Ongoing benefits:

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As any teacher knows, students need to be engaged with learning to absorb lessons in any meaningful way. Otherwise they can become distracted, disrupting everyone in the classroom and taking time away from instruction.

There are many ways to foster engagement, of course. But one may surprise you: holding classes outside. Findings from a new study show that learning outdoors is not just a fun, novel experience for kids, but also helps them focus once they return to the classroom.

In this study, third-grade students from two classrooms were assigned to conduct about half of their biology lessons outside (on a nearby patch of grass) and half inside the classroom during an academic year. The lessons involved things like identifying leaves and understanding the process of decomposition, and were closely matched: The indoor lessons had natural elements (like leaves and soil), while the outdoor lessons were conducted like a regular classroom (without student interaction or free play).

After each lesson, students received a short break and then continued indoors with their regular studies, like math or reading. Their level of engagement during this time was assessed by teacher ratings, independent tallies of "redirects" (how many times teachers needed to redirect students to the task at hand), and ratings of engagement based on classroom photos analyzed by someone blind to the study's purpose.

Results showed that when the students received outdoor biology lessons, they were significantly more engaged in their next instructional period on all measures than if they'd received biology lessons indoors. This held true for different teachers, different times of day, and different times of year.

According to lead researcher Ming Kuo of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, this is an important finding with practical implications.

"Kids can actually pay better attention in class after an outdoor lesson," she says. "This is nice for teachers, because you don't have to stop teaching and you still get that bump in attention."

Not only that, the bump in attention was large-much larger than Kuo had expected. In some cases, teachers only had to redirect half as often and kids paid attention one or two "standard deviations" better-research-speak for much, much better-if they'd had an outdoor lesson rather than an indoor one.

This surprised Kuo, who is used to working on highly controlled studies in a laboratory rather than field studies in a classroom.

"I thought that we would have smaller effects when we had a whole class of squirmy third graders," says Kuo. "But maybe when every kid gets a little bit better at paying attention and at controlling their impulses, and then you put them all in one classroom, there's some kind of synergy happening."

What's powerful in this study is that the children didn't spend time wandering down a forested path. The teachers simply changed the location of their lesson to a greener space-something that virtually any teacher at any school could do without taking away from instruction time.

"We could have taken these kids into capital-n Nature; but the kind of nature that we studied turns out to be pretty common-just a patch of grass with an access road," she says. "The kind of outdoor setting we used is probably available for many, many schools."

The restorative power of nature

Why would being in nature benefit kids at all? Perhaps it reduces stress, restores depleted attention, and improves immune function in children, much like it does in adults. And kids who are healthier, calmer, and less depleted may simply learn better.

"Kids are so starved for nature that...even this pretty small, pathetic dose helps them function remarkably better"

―Dr. Ming Kuo

Kuo's study adds to a growing body of research on learning in nature. Prior studies have found that teaching outdoors increases students' interest in a subject and intrinsic motivation to learn, and may help them to retain information longer than regular indoor classes. In addition, kids like learning outside, says Kuo, and they report liking their school more when lessons are held outdoors.

"Being able to pay more attention, being less stressed, and being happier and more interested in doing the work-this can have real effects on how engaged kids are," she says.

Still, Kuo's study is unique in looking at what happens after an outdoor lesson-the carryover effects. And that's important to teachers who may be reluctant to give up class time for going outside, worried their kids will lose all focus.

Kuo understands that teachers may be skeptical-even one of the teachers in her study was doubtful before the experiment started. But, if a teacher can be open-minded, she says, they should at least try it out and see what happens. Kuo argues that the current educational movement to reduce student outdoor time-or enrichment programs like music, art, and theater-is wrong-headed.

"You can add as much instructional time as you want and keep pouring, but once that cup is full, it's full," she says. "You have to find ways to give kids more capacity to take things in, before it makes sense to spend any more time with instructional teaching."

Being in nature seems to increase that capacity, suggesting yet another way kids benefit from being outside. Kuo's work implies that kids need nature, maybe more than we think. She hopes that future researchers will study whether spending more time in nature produces even greater benefits.

In the meantime, it's pretty clear that it doesn't take much nature to make a difference.

"Kids are so starved for nature that you can take them out into a not-very-natural area, give them a lesson without really engaging much with nature, and even this pretty small, pathetic dose helps them function remarkably better," says Kuo. "That feels like a big 'Wow!' to me."

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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The Surprising Benefits of Teaching a Class Outside

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As any teacher knows, students need to be engaged with learning to absorb lessons in any meaningful way. Otherwise they can become distracted, disrupting everyone in the classroom and taking time away from instruction. There are many ways to foster engagement, of course. But one may surprise you: holding classes outside.

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Artcile/Info: Children who play outside more likely to protect nature as adults

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Artcile/Info: Children who play outside more likely to protect nature as adults

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Protecting the environment can be as easy as telling your kids to go outdoors and play, according to a new UBC study. Research by Catherine Broom, assist. prof. in the Faculty of Education at UBC Okanagan, shows that 87 per cent of study respondents who played outside as children expressed a continued love of nature as young adults. Of that group, 84 per cent said taking care of the environment was a priority.

"Developing positive experiences in nature at a young age can influence our attitudes and behaviours towards nature as adults," says Broom. "It is important to study these childhood experiences in order to develop environmental awareness and action in the next generation."

The study interviewed 50 university students between the ages of 18 to 25. Of the group, 100 per cent of females stated that they loved or somewhat loved nature and 87 per cent of males responded the same.

While further research is needed, Broom believes that environmental awareness programs like Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, or the Duke of Edinburgh awards may help develop children's environmental awareness and action, aligning with environmental priorities such as Canada's goal to cut emissions by 2030.

According to a 2016 report from the Conference Board of Canada, the province's emissions of greenhouses gases are on track to increase through 2030, with a current ranking of 14 among 16 peer countries when it comes to environmental performance, only beating the United States and Australia.

"Our findings imply that providing positive childhood experiences in nature, such as outdoor school programs, may help to develop care for the environment in adults," Broom says. "However, these may not be sufficient unless programs are building knowledge and self-awareness of environmental stewardship."

Broom believes that schools and early childhood classroom activities should connect positive experiences in nature with mindful learning and reflection that help empower students to take a personal role in protecting the environment by recycling, turning off the lights, and using alternative transportation methods.

"Students need to learn and have a conscious understanding that the decisions we make each day can influence our environment, such as where we buy our food and how we use the Earth's natural resources."

Broom's study was recently published in the Australian Journal of Environmental Education.

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Children who play outside more likely to protect nature as adults

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Protecting the environment can be as easy as telling your kids to go outdoors and play, according to a new UBC study. Research by Catherine Broom, assist. prof. in the Faculty of Education at UBC Okanagan, shows that 87 per cent of study respondents who played outside as children expressed a continued love of nature as young adults.

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Article/Info: The Role of Outdoor Learning in Nurturing the Whole Spectrum of Human Intelligence

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Article/Info: The Role of Outdoor Learning in Nurturing the Whole Spectrum of Human Intelligence

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Nurturing Children's 'Smarts' in Outdoor Learning

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Our culture and many school systems tend to value linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities above all else. The tendency for schools to adequately cater for perhaps just two or three types of human intelligence results in lots of students leaving compulsory education feeling undervalued and inadequate.

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Book /  Reading List: Children Learning Outside the Classroom - Sue Waite

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Book /  Reading List: Children Learning Outside the Classroom - Sue Waite

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ISBN: 978-1-4739-1227-4

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