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This paper provides evidence gathered from two suites of non-formal science activities that were intended to increase engagement in science by culturally diverse groups. Both studies involved the delivery of science activities that were designed, implemented and evaluated to show culturally contextualised science. The activities were run in two very different contexts (urban and very rural areas) and were designed to be of relevance to two distinctive cultural groups (those with links to South Asia, and those being educated through the medium of Gaelic, an indigenous minority language in Scotland), while also actively engaging with those beyond the target group. The link between language identity and culture was incorporated into the design of both sets of activities as well as the qualitative evaluation. The latter considers how the participants' assessment of the interventions, implemented by writing or drawing on a blank postcard, was designed to provide unstructured responses and explores what the resulting data revealed about the impact of the interventions. The findings suggest that the set of activities that most strongly engaged participants on the value of diversity in the creation of scientific knowledge, as well as increasing their focus on the consequences of scientific activity, were those that facilitated a more exploratory approach to the subject matter. By contrast, activities that had to be done according to a standard scientific protocol produced growth in subject-specific knowledge. The present paper explores the principles of the inclusive pedagogies that informed the design of the activities and discusses how these were operationalised in two very contrasting cultural contexts. The key finding was that presenting science as social practice, rather than as being socially neutral, is key to promoting engagement, along with the benefits of explicitly demonstrating the relevance of science to participants' daily lives.

A First-Year Seminar course was designed using high-impact practices supporting food justice at a university serving mainly urban, minority, Hispanic, and first-generation students. The course was initially taught using participatory experiential learning but without service-learning. After an urban farm was added to campus to support the institutionalization of a garden-based service-learning program, the course was redesigned to add a service-learning component. Students were required to work at the farm composting, cultivating, and harvesting food for distribution to fellow food-insecure students for a minimum of ten hours throughout the semester. Service-learning students, as opposed to participatory experiential learning students, reported overall greater satisfaction with the course and its activities, had a 3% higher grade point average and a 9% lower drop, fail, and withdrawal rate. Service-learning students expressed a connection to campus community, a sense of feeling cared for, greater awareness of food justice issues and the ability to work toward community-based solutions and grow their critical consciousness. The added service-learning component significantly improved course outcomes and provided much needed assistance in the development of a new garden-based program.

Background/purpose: Despite progress in inclusive education policies, research has largely neglected the analysis of learning environments that are adjustable for all students. School gardens are learning environments that emphasize the broader view of participation on current perspectives of inclusion. This article discusses the possibilities and limitations of using school gardens in inclusive learning environments and their relations with different inclusive education national policies. Materials/methods: We performed a content analysis of inclusive education national policies and 16 learning activities tested and implemented in four schools from Slovenia, Spain, Greece, and Portugal participating in an exchange project which promoted teaching with school gardens supported by digital tools. Results: The study revealed illustrations of how activities that combine the use of school gardens with digital tools can emphasize collaboration and participation in inclusive learning approaches. However, fostering inclusive practices was found to be either constrained or promoted by each country's view of inclusion in educational policies. Conclusion: Integrating teacher collaboration and project-based learning with garden-based school activities fosters student collaboration and participation, while offering enriched sensorial experiences that benefit the learning and development of all students. School gardens also foster inclusion through deepening intercultural understanding and stronger student interactions that heighten awareness and normalization of diversity.

This qualitative study examines definitions of school gardening used by preschool educators and examines their views on the value of school gardening in their curriculum. The participants consisted of school principals and teachers working in two different types of preschools as traditional and nature-based. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and content analysis technique was used. Findings showed that the educators routinely implemented school gardening, both outdoors and in greenhouse. School gardening was integrated with other curriculum activities. Its positive effects on children's development were expressed with emphasizing the need for additional space, time, financial support, and collaboration with experts.

Islamic boarding schools as educational institutions in Indonesia have contributed to national education in terms of the contribution of knowledge and figures in government. On the other hand, the limitations of pesantren funding sources must be solved by good entrepreneurial management so that pesantren are independent of donors or the government. This research takes place at Tahfidzul Qur'an Salsabila Islamic Boarding School, Tegal, which has implemented entrepreneurship in pesantren management. The results of this study indicate that various kinds of entrepreneurship are carried out, including citrus garden agro-tourism, catfish farming, coffee cafes, ground coffee products, pesantren stalls, and snack products from dages sticks. Second, the existing and implemented entrepreneurial management follows management rules, namely planning, organizing, implementing and monitoring as steps taken so that entrepreneurship can still be carried out correctly. The three entrepreneurial contributions to education costs include paying pesantren asatidz, to pay for electricity for Islamic boarding schools every month, and financing orphans and orphans, as well as being allocated to fund poor students.

School gardens, which play an important role in environmental education, provide an opportunity for students to develop environmental awareness and gain environmental responsibility. In this study, which draws attention to this, it is aimed to reveal the applicability of the workshops prepared in the school garden in order to improve the environmental sensitivity of the students. The research was carried out with 10 female and 10 male 4th grade students in a public primary school in the city center of Bartin in the 2021-2022 academic year. The research was carried out with the action research design, one of the qualitative research methods. The data of the research were obtained through a scale developed by Peker (2020) and a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers. Quantitative data obtained using descriptive statistics and dependent group t-test statistical procedures; qualitative data were analyzed with content analysis technique. As a result of the research, it has been determined that environmental education workshops are effective in increasing students' environmental awareness. Students stated that environmental education activities are fun, useful and instructive. As a result, it is seen that the workshops applied in the school garden increase the environmental awareness of the 4th grade students and the process has a positive effect on them. As a result of the research, it can be suggested that environmental awareness should be brought to students through school gardens and reflected in educational environments by organizing various activities that encourage positive attitudes.

This study aims to reveal the effects of out-of-class learning activities conducted in the school garden on students' interest in science and their scientific attitudes. Research designed as a pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design of quantitative research methods. The research group of the study consists of 37, 7th grade students enrolled in a public school in Turkiye. Reproduction, growth and development in plants were conducted through school garden-based science activities for seven weeks. The research data were collected using Science Interest Scale and Scientific Attitude Scale. The study findings showed that garden-based activities have a moderate and close to moderate effect on students' interests in science and scientific attitudes. As per these findings, we can say that school gardens are out-of-class learning environments that can be used to help increase students' interest and attitudes toward science.

The classification of living things learning in school faced some obstacles, one of which was the difficulties in presenting the specimen of real living things. One of the advanced information and technology products in the form of digital or virtual-based learning media was expected to be the solution to this problem. Through this research, a virtual garden learning media was developed as an alternative learning media for the classification of living things. This development research (Design-Based Research) used an ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate), which consisted of five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The development of the Virtual Garden application started with creating the workflow and wireframe, creating the 3D asset using Blender Software, producing the virtual garden interactive media using Unity-3D software, and adding the C# programming. This research involved an expert in learning media and an expert in Science Learning content as the validators. The results of Virtual Garden validation showed that this application had been valid and relevant to be used as a Science/Biology learning media on the classification of living things topics. Based on the implementation results, the students gave positive responses to the use of Virtual Garden in learning.

Background and Aim: Promoting the development of international education is an important international education trend in the world today. It has had or is having a far-reaching impact on the education of all countries in the world, whether it is formal education or non-formal education (Gu, M., 2020). The "Course Plan for Technicians in Museums and Exhibition Halls" is mentioned in the book "Classification of International Education Standards" prepared by the UNESCO Education Statistics Bureau (1998). It can be seen that as early as the initial stage of international education development, the international education undertakings responsible for education, cultural inheritance, and exchange have attracted long-term attention to the museum industry. The combination of international education and museum display education can develop the way of international education, improve the exchange channels of international education, use the intuition and authenticity of museum display education, and improve the communication channels and paths of Chinese culture, which is an important way to improve the soft power of modern countries. Materials and Methods: This study uses descriptive research methods and attribute classification methods to try to classify garden cultural relics. The descriptive research method is simple. It interprets existing phenomena, laws, and theories through its understanding and verification, raises questions in a targeted way, and reveals the drawbacks. The law of attribute classification takes the social and scientific and cultural attributes of cultural relics as the standard to classify cultural relics. That is, the classification method is based on the nature of cultural relics. Cultural relics are the relics of human social activities and have cultural attributes. Therefore, when using the attribute classification method, this study clarifies the use and deep meaning of cultural relics to accurately confirm their nature, and then carry out research. Results: The development of international education is the evolution trend of education for the world and the public. Make good use of the current museum public service facilities education platform to build good communication and communication channels, which is conducive to the development of international education. Conclusion: Based on the existing collection classification principles and characteristics, we will innovate the classification display method, make new attempts to improve the classification display education method, and build a collection classification system in line with the functional positioning, collection attributes, and development planning of the library. It is a useful attempt to combine international education with museum education and museum classification to improve the mode of museum education, implement the essence of the curriculum plan of international education development museums and exhibition halls into specific practical work, and enrich the content of museum education through new exhibition classification.

Natural materials provide children opportunities for artistic engagement, which encourages a dialogue between children and material and provides a platform for children to discuss their perspectives on significant issues like sustainable futures. This article examines the land art characters created by pre-primary education children in the garden of the University of Turku's Rauma campus. The study is part of a STEAM-themed learning process that was conducted in a pre-primary group (children aged six to seven years) during the spring of 2022, based on Freinet's pedagogy. The study uses multimodal content analysis to analyze the children's land art pieces and their character-based storytelling. The results indicate that the children were able to effectively use natural materials to create unique characters by selecting appropriate materials, colors, and shapes to highlight their features. The shapes of natural materials served either as building blocks for the characters or helped them realize the characters they imagined. Further, the garden was found to be a significant location for outdoor learning, as it provided a space for children to engage in activities such as creating land art and exploring nature.

The University of Georgia (UGA) has a training requirement for adults working with youth. To meet this requirement for Georgia 4-H and Extension Master Gardener volunteers, a standardized online training module was created and delivered across program areas. Volunteers were surveyed to evaluate training effectiveness and experience. Understanding of UGA youth protocols and service preparedness increased after training for both volunteer groups, though preparedness may be affected by life stage, engagement in youth service roles, and/or comfort with virtual training. The module was considered accessible and convenient by respondents, thus providing a successful approach for offering trainings across program areas.

The outdoor inquiry has a significant meaning in learning biology, but it has a problem that is difficult to be frequently implemented in the school garden due to causes. On the other hand, alternative activities using the virtual world have been proposed, but due to a lack of reality and passive use, the continuity of the activities is low, and there are doubts about the effect on the affective domain. Therefore, this study developed a class program in which students directly construct a virtual world and explore living organisms using the digital twin platform. Also, researchers checked the changes in students' affective domain according to the application of the learning program. A teaching and learning strategy for learning biology was composed through the review of research and statistical analysis performed changes of the affective domain. The experimental group changed more positively than the control group in the affective domain of learning biology due to replicating the school garden so that living organisms can be explored indoors and outdoors. Consequently, class programs for learning biology can positively affect the learner's affective domain when it is provided with improved realism by digital twin, self-directedness, and autonomy to compare real space and object.

The facts show that the mathematics achievement of Indonesian students is still very low. One of the causes of this problem is that the learning model used by the teacher is still conventional. This study aims to describe the activities of Mathematics Prospective Teachers (MPT) in completing assignments/projects using the Outdoor Learning Mathematics Project (OLMP). The research subjects were 29 MPT at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education University of Jember, Indonesia, in August 2022. The type of research was quasi-experimental using one group pretest-posttest design and a one-shot case study. Data were collected using observation sheets, worksheets, learning outcome tests, and questionnaires. Data analysis used descriptive qualitative statistics. From the results of the data analysis, it can be concluded that the OLMP model is effective in increasing the activities of MPT. This can be seen that all groups are very active in carrying out very varied activities during learning activities in the Campus Garden. They can find many mathematical concepts and apply them to complete projects. In addition, with an N-gain score of 0.79, the OLMP model is effective in improving the learning outcomes of MPT. The majority of the subjects (97.59%) have a very positive response concerning the application of the OLMP teaching model. In the future, further research needs to be carried out using more subjects from various fields of science, and in many places. It is hoped that MPT can be skilled in guiding students using the OLMP model when they are already teachers at school.

The condition of food insecurity and malnutrition for school-aged children and adolescents remains one of the most influential determinants of learning outcomes. Healthy and well-nourished students learn better, have a prodigious opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential as adults, and increase their earning potential. The purpose of this study was twofold: a) to examine the implementation level of the school feeding programme and b) to identify the existing challenges that limit the school feeding programme from realizing its full potential in basic education schools. The study was directed by a descriptive research design, and 227 were selected using stratified and simple random sampling approaches, with 73.7% males and 26.3% females. The bulk of participants (39.2%) were between the ages of 30 and 40. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. The numeric data were descriptively examined using SPSS, and the qualitative data was studied using theme analysis. The study established a moderate level of school feeding implementation in terms of programmes coverage, school meal and cost, school meal preparation, and service. The study revealed different challenges hindering the effectiveness of the school feeding programme in basic education schools, including insufficient food served to the students in quantity and quality, inadequate materials and infrastructure, and unaffordable prices of required groceries from the market. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of school feeding programmes, the Rwandan government and its partners in these programmes should raise the school feeding fund allotted to basic education institutions throughout the country. To the same extent, the Rwandan government is advised to: a) transfer the school feeding fund to the schools for timely use, b) provide the schools with the necessary equipment and materials for cooking and serving meals to students, as well as the provision of required dining rooms, c) find an adequate way to fix the country's progressive price increase, and d) promote the school gardening concept (such as growing vegetables and other relevant crops).

This study investigated adolescent students' nutritional knowledge in boarding schools and potential strategies for improving their nutritional status in the Ido-Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The researcher used purposive sampling to select three government colleges and private college boarding schools in the Ido-Osi Local Government area. The sample consisted of 80 boarding house students. Data was collected using a questionnaire, and the statistical analysis involved frequency and percentages. The findings revealed that a good percentage of the boarding school students have good nutritional knowledge. The majority of students believed that both the Federal and State Government, as well as schools, parents, and communities, should work together to improve the food system in order to combat nutritional challenges in boarding schools. Thus, the study recommends that the Government, parents, schools, and communities collaborate to address any nutrition issues among adolescent students in boarding schools. This could involve initiatives such as establishing school gardens and providing support to local farmers, among other strategies. Future research should aim to enhance our understanding of adolescent students' nutritional knowledge in boarding schools and develop effective strategies to improve their nutritional status. This will contribute to the overall health and well-being of these students during their critical developmental years.

Aims: The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) takes responsibility and leadership in the Bicol region's agriculture and allied technological sciences field. This study determined the possibility of offering short-term courses in Organic Agriculture at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture. Study Design: Descriptive design was used in the study. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted in Pili, Camarines Sur, Philippines, for six months in 2019. Methodology: A survey questionnaire was used to determine the demographic profile, motivations, reasons, and learning areas of interest among prospective enrollees on short-term courses in organic agriculture. The respondents were selected using purposive sampling, including 30 SHS teachers, 58 School Administrators, and 91 home gardeners. The data were tabulated through frequency count and percentage. Results: Results revealed that most prospective enrollees are from the old age bracket (42.25%), interested in home gardening (50.84%), want to learn about basic competencies of organic agriculture (29.05%), and earn a National Certificate for teaching purposes (25.69%). Their main reasons if they are to enroll in the program was health or personal well-being (22.91%). Most respondents wanted to learn about crop and animal production (44.69%) among the learning areas in organic agriculture. Conclusion: This study indicates that short-term courses in organic agriculture have the possibility to be offered at the University.

Outdoor pedagogies have gained significant traction in Early Childhood Education over the years and European traditions represent a cultural norm in what is generally referred to as Scandinavian outdoor pedagogies. This small-scale ethnographic research adopted an interpretative methodological approach and afforded opportunities to observe young preschool children engaging in an outdoor, allotment, Garden School in the centre of Oslo Norway. Here we were in the privileged position to capture moments vis a vis the environment, and whilst we acknowledge traditional child led discourses, affiliated with healthy child development, we also envisaged a world where children engaged in post-anthropocentric entanglements with human and non-human kinships.

This article reports how Swedish teachers' aims and practices were modified by an ecosystem services development project that introduced insect hotels, bird boxes and planting to ten preschool yards. Teachers' understanding of ecosystem services, human--nature relationships and the impact of these on nature connectedness showed that their conceptualisations of human--nature relationships were shifting and complex, reflecting overlapping ideas about what schoolyard ecosystem services might mean to/for young children and how children's connection with nature might best be supported. The findings suggest creating pockets of urban nature in schoolyards is a useful strategy to unpack some of this complexity through direct experience of ecosystems encouraging interest in, concern for and understanding of our mutuality with nature.

School connectedness is important for students' current and future outcomes but may decline in the middle school years. This mixed methods study investigated the impact of a school garden project on 6th-graders' school connectedness. Surveys were completed by 46 middle school students at the beginning and end of a garden unit. In addition, individual interviews were conducted with 25 participants. Quantitative findings indicated that most participants had some gardening experience at home and enjoyed being part of the garden at school. However, pre-post results did not show increased connectedness following the garden unit, as connectedness ratings were moderately high both before and after the garden unit. Analysis of student interviews found that the garden project facilitated home-school, student-student, and student-teacher connections. Qualitative results also highlighted the garden as a context for engagement as students shared what they were learning and doing in the garden, the choices and autonomy they experienced there, and their anticipation of upcoming activities. Finally, interviews documented students' enjoyment of the school garden through their expression of positive emotion and appreciation for the outdoor setting and activities, which students described as stress-relieving and a valued break from traditional schooling. Implications for educators are discussed.

Garden-based learning, a key component of Farm to School (FTS), continues to grow in popularity as a tool for engaging students in hands-on learning. Recent literature calls for professional development to help educators overcome barriers - including a lack of horticulture skills, curricular connections, and time - that often hinder program success and sustainability. This study sought to understand the role of professional development and its ability to support resilient FTS programs in the classroom. Following participation in a multiday FTS professional development program, seven educators participated in an 11-month photo elicitation study to capture their experience implementing FTS in their classrooms. We find that educators drew on FTS professional development to expand their self-efficacy by successfully implementing what they learned, observing effective models, being affirmed by colleagues and others, and growing their overall confidence to engage in the work. Results also identified persistent barriers that professional development alone cannot reduce.

This article addresses the issue of the production of space in rural and urban territories and the dialectical relation with agency and environmental activism. The data came from a collective ethnographic action research conducted at the Unified Educational Centre Uirapuru and its surroundings in the periphery of São Paulo in Brazil. In this article, I analyse the narratives which are part of interviews with a primary teacher and a community leader, one responsible for the Green Unified Educational Centre Project and the other for the vegetable garden of Vila Nova Esperança. Both subjects have become environmental agents or transformative activists. I inquire if this has to do with their memories of places and their importance of such memories for their praxis and personalities and asked about their rural past or another situation which may have produced their environmental awareness. Focusing on concepts such as production of space, place as a lived and felt space, and "perezhivanie," I analyse the dynamics of transformations through these narrative interviews.

Background: Health literacy research in school gardening is lacking. Development of a psychometrically sound survey can fill this gap. Purpose: The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to develop and validate a Functional Health Literacy Survey for School Gardening (FHLS-SG), and (2) to determine the effect of health literacy on reciprocal determinism between the individual, environmental, and behavioral factors of school gardening. Methods: 651 children in grades K-4 took the FHLS-SG with 31 questions about gardening and health literacy aligned to social cognitive theory. Results: Cronbach's alpha for 6 factors ranging from 0.69 to 0.84, and test-retest reliability ranging from 0.59 to 0.81 were statistically significant. Health literacy showed a small mediation effect (M) between vegetable eating behavior and the individual (M = 0.27) and vegetable eating behavior and the garden environment (M = 0.22). Health literacy had the strongest mediation effect (M = 0.36) between the garden environment and the individual. Discussion: When classroom environment was used as a covariate, health literacy mediated all relationships between the individual, environmental, and behavioral factors with small to medium effects (p < 0.01). Translation to Health Education Practice: Reciprocal determinism between individual, behavioral, and environmental factors was supported. Health literacy mediated all relationships with small to medium effects. The FHLS-SG can assess the mediating effect of health literacy on vegetable eating behavior within school garden environments.

Environmental education (EE) is a concern in modern society. Plant blindness and nature-deficit disorder highlight how important nature contact and plant consciousness is for urban populations. Considering rapid urbanisation, these phenomena are of increasing concern in China. Integrating EE curricula in Chinese cities is necessary to help younger generations appreciate the environment and understand how to address environmental challenges. Based on our EE teaching experiences in Southwest China's largest urban conglomeration, Chengdu, we discuss anecdotes and propose strategies to improve Southwest China's EE, with guidance for future research. Although children are more drawn to animals, EE education should focus on ecosystem-wide approaches rather than entirely zoocentric or anthropocentric perspectives, since these could reinforce the problematic view that plants are merely 'backdrops'. Urban greenspaces should be utilised in active education schemes, with teachers trained via professional EE modules rooted in local environmental concerns and complementing national/regional priorities. EE programmes should actively engage parents, encouraging their interaction with schools during EE activity preparation and venue selection, as their participation can help overcome obsessive safety and liability concerns. Older generations should be encouraged to transmit their own environmental and ecological knowledge, with implications for both cultural resilience and biocultural diversity conservation efforts.

Current models of best practice in science education advocate for students to learn science by engaging in applied contexts that integrate the various science disciplines. Permaculture offers one such integrated context for elementary science. Although permaculture is relatively new in PK-12 education, the broader practice of school gardening has an established history of supporting student engagement in and conceptual understanding of science. However, many elementary teachers report feeling unprepared to implement garden-based lessons. This article examines preservice teacher (PST) ideas about permaculture and views toward teaching permaculture that emerged within an elementary science methods course. The course's pilot instructional intervention on permaculture included four components: background permaculture readings and videos, guided discussion, food forest design activity, and lesson plan analysis activity. We designed these components to engage preservice teachers both as current learners and future teachers of permaculture. Data was collected from pre/post-tests, the lesson analysis activity, and the PST daily endof-class reflections. After the permaculture intervention, PSTs self-reported higher levels of knowledge of permaculture topics and ways to use permaculture in their classrooms. They also effectively connected permaculture-based lesson plans to a variety of elementary learning standards. The PSTs positively viewed permaculture-based lessons as providing active, real-life learning experiences that support environmental consciousness, but viewed the cost and time required as barriers to implementing permaculture in their classrooms. Collectively, they positioned the developmental appropriateness and spatial resources required of the lessons as both advantages and disadvantages. Implications for teacher preparation and development are discussed.

This paper describes and analyzes the social relations that emerged from an ongoing adult education internship/community-based garden project in Montreal. I employ institutional ethnography to explore and uncover how adult education internships in community gardens and gardening programming can work to produce disproportionate outcomes for adult learners, community workers, and community members. I trace my own and others' experiential knowledge of attempting to use gardens for social, environmental, and educational reasons into texts and policies that shape garden and adult education possibilities in community-based contexts. In the process of creating, funding, enacting, and evaluating adult education internships in community organizations, I elucidate specific institutional contrivances (e.g., funding, policy, work processes, discourse) that are presently structuring and defining who experiences access to gardens, gardening and its ostensible health and well-being benefits, and adult education.

Landscape garden design is an important design foundation course for undergraduate students of landscape architecture in China, but the current classroom teaching has the problem of limited spatial dimension of the course. This paper proposes a virtual scene model construction method through the computer software with the creation of the need to display the scene. This virtual reality technology has immersive, interactive, and risqué characteristics. This paper focuses on the key points of virtual reality technology, discusses the specific implementation method of virtual reality technology in the "landscape garden design" course, and introduces the interactive control principle. The results of the research show that virtual reality technology to assist teaching can cultivate students' spatial thinking and enhance students' spatial simulation experience, greatly reducing the cost of traditional teaching.

The changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have compelled schools to transform their pedagogies, with two seemingly contrasting trends emerging: the growing digitalisation of schools and the increased recognition of outdoor education. Our study, based on the experience of a European project, addressed the following questions: What digital competences can be fostered through school garden-based learning activities? Which UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be addressed by combining garden and digital activities? How do these practices align with the framework of transformative pedagogy? To answer these questions, we conducted a qualitative content analysis of 16 learning activity lesson plans designed and implemented by teachers from Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, and Spain. The findings indicate the activities contributed to exploring diverse online sources of information and integrating them into shareable digital products while developing SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 3 (health habits), and SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), among others. These activities align with the principles of transformative pedagogy, as they encourage students to think and interact globally while empowering them to take action at a local level. These results also emphasise the importance of enhancing students' decision-making abilities and providing opportunities for reflective questioning, less frequently identified in the activities.

Early childhood education provides an important arena for fostering valuable habits and practices for sustainability. This paper contributes to understanding the educator's role within early childhood environmental education in foraging and gardening practices. What pedagogical approaches does the teacher provide to foster the children's participation, engagement, and learning in such activities? To investigate this question, we used a qualitative approach, including video and on-site interviews with kindergarten teachers during foraging or gardening activities. We also analyzed semi-structural interviews and collected field notes for in-depth views and reflections from the teachers. The qualitative data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. The data analysis suggests three themes that exemplify hallmarks of the teacher's role: (1) facilitating adventurous experience, (2) child-centered communication, and (3) building collective knowledge and skills. The implications for the future are discussed with respect to the kindergarten teacher's pivotal function in supporting children as eco-citizens for sustainability. The data show that the kindergarten teachers' over-arching role is to take leadership of fostering engagement and learning for everyone involved.

As research of benefits and detriments of pesticides and biocides progresses, people's knowledge needs to be updated. This study takes an audience perspective on how practitioners may improve communication. Through online focus group discussions of how and why Danes acquire knowledge of pesticides and biocides, we find that focusing on improving people's knowledge structures, heuristics and self-efficacy may improve people's ability to acquire such knowledge and in turn improve their motivation. This paper provides suggestions for how practitioners may create more effective communication.

Autistic people need sensory gardens specially designed for them to improve psychologically and physically. It also helps them get able to participate in society. The aim of the present study was to plan the close environment of the Inönü University Foundation Special Education and Rehabilitation Center (IFSER) as a sensory garden for children with autism and develop a design proposal in this direction. The working process consisted of a field survey and analysis, the determination of user requests and needs, together with the development of a sensory garden design proposal. In addition, the plant and structural design features of the study area were evaluated in terms of landscape design, thanks to the interviews with the centre staff. The usability of the outdoor conditions of this centre by children with disabilities was also examined. In addition, to determine the wishes and needs of users with autism, a survey was conducted with the parents of the disabled individuals who came to the centre together with the existing literature research and face-to-face interviews were conducted with the directors and staff in the study area. At the last stage of the study, a Needs Program for the users was also prepared. Finally, these design components and applications of the prepared project were transferred to the plan plane. Consequently, it appears that the Park and Garden Directorates of the relevant municipalities and the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in Turkey need to consider the sensory aspect while designing disabled gardens, especially for autistic children.

School gardens must overcome a range of challenges to be successful but are often lauded for fostering hands-on education and real-world learning. This thematic literature review synthesises 22 journal articles and two book chapters, extending on previous reviews by amassing their themes into one singular reference point for scholars, while simultaneously exploring ways to overcome the challenges associated with school gardens. Findings highlight that academic enhancement, environmental connection, and enhanced wellbeing (both physical and emotional) are the main benefits of school gardens, while the main barriers are time, funding, maintenance, and curriculum integration. Strategies for overcoming the challenges of garden spaces in educational contexts are identified which will be valuable to scholars and others seeking to establish and maintain gardens in schools.

Farm to school education connects learning to the real world by helping students foster a deeper appreciation for local agriculture and healthy eating habits. Students experience and understand how nature supports life and the food they eat. Farm to school can take many forms, from classroom lessons to field trips in the school garden. Many programs include meeting farmers and farm workers to learn about the hard work that goes into growing food and about the ecosystems that support healthy crops. Educators can incorporate local food into the curriculum as a hands-on and engaging approach to teaching essential concepts about food, health, agriculture, and nutrition. When educators bring cultural relevance to farm to school education, they can create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for all students. And when this happens, students' health, attendance, participation, and academic success can all improve. The "Eating Learning Growing" guide and its framework, activities, and reflections are designed to help educators easily enrich existing lessons to include diverse topics, histories, learning styles, and customs.

Purpose: Greener on the Outside for Prisons (GOOP) is a therapeutic horticulture programme targeting the high levels of complex health and social care needs in prisons in England. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns led to unprecedented disruption in prisons in England. This paper examines the experiences of prisoners both during and post-lockdowns in four prisons, to understand the effects of participation in GOOP on health and wellbeing after the disruption of restrictions, and identify implications for developing this programme further. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on original qualitative data gathered from in-depth narrative-based interviews and focus groups with prisoners and staff in four English prisons. Audio data was transcribed and subject to a thematic analysis, drawing from a realist-informed lens. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed five key themes: reimagining the GOOP context; increasing empathy between participants; building sense of coherence; reconnecting with nature and a joined-up connection with provider services. The main arguments centre on horticulture in prisons remaining under-utilised as a means of promoting good health and wellbeing, although there is enthusiasm from staff to provide green spaces for the most vulnerable prisoners and develop a range of mechanisms to connect people in prison with nature. Originality/value: This paper focuses on new knowledge arising from an unprecedented situation in English prisons, from key stakeholders on the frontline of garden activities. Accounts demonstrate the extent of the health and wellbeing benefits of participation in such activities in this challenging environment, which has implications for practice for prisons more widely.

Outdoor environmental education aims to immerse students in environmental spaces and create opportunities for classroom learning to be applied in the field. However, students from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities often have less access to these educational opportunities. This study examined the environmental education programs of nine community organizations in the San Francisco (SF) Bay Area. Through twenty-one interviews with program educators, we assessed two areas: (1) place-based learning being used as a connective tool for students and the community, and (2) ways in which access barriers to programming were addressed. Findings showed that community spaces, like gardens, brought students and the community together to reinforce the mission of place-based learning. Additionally, the findings contribute to the field of outdoor environmental education and place-based education by addressing how local organizations strategized to support equitable access through tactics like financial support and multilingual programming and materials.

This study explored the culturally based learning needs of Korowai students living in a lowland-remote area in Papua to address the question of how education in this part of Indonesia could be inclusive and engaging for indigenous students and their community. Case study was selected as it has potential to reveal detailed structured information and in-depth description of people and their experiences within a particular location, time and socio-political circumstance. The case study school was purposively chosen, due to its uniqueness of being situated in a remote, hunter-gatherer community that only recently began to modernise. School physical environment and building design was one of the identified themes that emerged in the case study school. This theme included some sub-themes, namely (1) the school building design, (2) forest as the school's physical environment, and (3) school garden and animal husbandry. The Korowai students brought social and cultural capital and expectations to their local school that differed from those of traditional Indonesian school expectations and presented different learning needs. How the local school and teachers responded to these varied expectations and learning needs also differed and revealed further needs for differentiation in education. These points of differentiation include needs in their physical environment: to build some classrooms in the style of Korowai treehouse dwellings and to replant forest and food trees close to the school to provide students with a sense of cultural connection and school belonging.

Course based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) enable students to connect theoretical coursework to the real-world application of scientific research, broadly increasing the accessibility of research to students. Similarly, service-learning courses connect undergraduate students to their surrounding communities by anchoring a component of the course in community service and providing an opportunity for students to recognize its potential impact on humanity. Herein, we describe the implementation of a combined CURE and a service learning course. Students designed chemical investigations of purslane, a medicinal and edible plant, while simultaneously volunteering at a campus community garden. Student-led investigations have included analyses of extraction efficiencies, the effect of preparation on the antioxidant potential, and the antimicrobial activity of purslane extracts, among others. Pre- and post-survey data suggest that CUREs may be effectively achieved in a lab course with a significant service learning component. This course can be easily adapted to meet the needs and interests of other chemistry courses.

Educators working in museums, zoos, and botanic gardens are increasingly required to demonstrate impact. These requirements position 'performative evaluation' as the dominant model, one which also acts as a political, non-neutral, and managerial form of accountability. In contrast, 'practice evaluation' is intended to be democratic, dialogic, and developmental. To explore this contrast, Foucault's concept of the docile body is directed toward interviews with five educators from Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom who worked in museums, zoos or botanic gardens. In addition to their work mediating informal learning, all five also had responsibilities to provide evaluation reports to audiences including managers, trustees, funders, policy makers, and politicians. Analysis of these interviews identified a set of dilemmas that the participants faced--dilemmas which illustrate how performative evaluation becomes a disciplinary mechanism which produces docile bodies. I argue that such evaluation is not only inappropriate for the context of informal learning, but undemocratic and non-dialogic. The paper concludes that a reset of performative evaluation from an accountability technology, to a developmental one--along a more sophisticated reading of how informal learning is defined--would not only generate rich evaluate data but mitigate against educators being rendered docile by the process.

When students feel connected to their school, they experience positive health and academic outcomes. In contrast, school disengagement is a predictor of dropout, delinquency, and substance use. School garden programming has the potential to help children achieve academic outcomes and feel connected to their school. Unfortunately, most school garden research has been conducted with white, affluent study participants. We describe the results of a secondary analysis utilizing data from an evaluation of a university-supported community school garden program (CSGP). Using a cross-sectional survey study design, we examined the impact of school garden programming in Title I schools on primarily Latino/a (Hispanic) elementary student self-reported learning and feelings of school connectedness by comparing students with [less than or equal to]1 year exposure to those with >1 year. Social cognitive theory formed the conceptual basis for the analysis. Duration of school garden exposure did not have a significant association with self-reported learning or feelings of school connectedness. Regardless of past exposure, fifth-grade students, females, and those who identify as Latino/a (Hispanic) felt that school garden programming improved their learning. Latino/a (Hispanic) students who participate in school garden programming may also feel a greater sense of connection to their teachers and peers at school. Qualitative results demonstrated that most students enjoyed spending time in the garden and indicated that participating in the program helped them learn new things and feel connected to their school. If individuals who may be disadvantaged because of systemic racism, such as Latino/a (Hispanic) students, can benefit from school garden programming, such interventions should be further investigated and prioritized.

Amid social distancing restrictions, community gardening becomes a focal point of one honors program. While providing fresh produce to the campus food pantry, this student-run initiative generates a new setting for experiential and service learning.

Educational gardens are powerful outdoor learning environments to address the subject of climate change and foster climate action. Using an online questionnaire, this study examines the influence of the main sociodemographic and academic factors, and the role of connectedness to nature, on the perception of educational gardens as contexts of climate change education (CCE) among Spanish preservice teachers (PSTs). The sample consisted of 889 PSTs enrolled in 9 university campuses of Spain. The statistical analyses performed evidenced that women are more likely to use educational gardens than men and that there is a progressive decrease in the positive perception of PSTs about the usefulness of gardens for CCE as the educational level at which they are being trained increases. Statistics also revealed that the variable connectedness to nature and the rating of the importance of educational gardens in CCE are not significantly related. Nevertheless, the Mann-Whitney U test indicated that PSTs who scored higher on connection to nature wished to broaden their knowledge of sustainable agriculture and, thus, connectedness to nature could be considered a predictor of environmental attitudes, each influencing the other. Based on these findings, recommendations for PSTs' training in the CCE context are provided.

One of the objectives of science teaching and learning is to achieve quality science education, which involves improving initial teacher training. The use of methodologies that promote learning in science, such as the enquiry-based learning strategy, are encouraged. It is also necessary to provide appropriate contexts that give meaning to the investigation conducted, and arouse the students' interest. The purpose of this study is to identify the skills related to the enquiry competency that future pre-school teachers acquire after carrying out investigations using the University Ecological Garden as a context. To undertake this study, a non-experimental quantitative methodology was developed based on the application of two instruments: the New Practical Test Assessment Inventory (NPTAI), based on the Practical Test Assessment Inventory, and the trainee teachers' Enquiry Competency Level (ECL), adapted for the present work. Thirty-seven group reports were analysed and recoded to establish five levels of enquiry competency. A predominance of students with a high level of enquiry competency as opposed to "pre-scientific" and "unscientific" lower levels was observed. The results allowed us to explore the role of the teacher in the monitoring process during the strategy, the context used, and the main difficulties encountered in the implementation of the strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a garden-based teaching unit about "Food and Nutrition" on students' knowledge and habits of sustainable healthy diets, and to compare it with that of a more traditional unit from a textbook. This communication is framed in a research project (EDUCYL2020-01 "Sembrando interés, cosechando competencia", financed by the Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León through the Dirección General de Innovación y Formación del Profesorado (ORDEN EDU/262/2020, de 9 de marzo, "por la que se convoca la selección de proyectos de investigación educativa a desarrollar por equipos de profesores y equipos de inspectores que presten servicios educativos de la Comunidad de Castilla y León durante los cursos 2020/2021")) whose aim is to improve science education by approaching scientific topics of the official curriculum from a context-based strategy. The authors first designed a teaching-learning sequence, using an organic learning garden as a context, including real-life activities to promote reflection and debate among students. Such a sequence was implemented in a group of 40 students at the third course of Spanish compulsory secondary education, whose results were compared with those of a group of 15 students who followed the textbook. The impact was assessed by posing four open questions to students from the two groups, both at the beginning and the end of the instruction, whose answers were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results show that implementing the sequence constituted an educational improvement with respect to traditional teaching, since students' answers on the topic were overall more comprehensive and evidenced better preparation for making real-life decisions. Students from the experimental group became more aware of the environmental impacts of human nutrition, and of sustainable healthy diets. It was also indicated that the health and nutrition-centered approach that still predominates in education needs to be overcome, and a sustainable approach needs to be taken. This is a novel study that leads a new line of research devoted to addressing education about sustainable food, which arises from the demands of raising awareness among citizens toward changing diets within the transition toward sustainable food systems.

Awareness and appreciation of nature and environmental sustainability have become global issues. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have contributed to several serious initiatives to participate in the development of feasible solutions to these vital issues. The current research attempted to study the dimensions developed by those initiatives. The research adopted the dimension of education in early childhood and educating children about the issues of nature and the environment by monitoring the practices that take place in four programs implemented in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The research aims to determine how the relationship between children and nature is rooted, and the consequent appreciation of nature and environmental awareness. The qualitative approach was adopted for the continuous interpretation of the practices of participants in the specific programs. The results found that educational programs that seek to merge nature and the environment in the education of children led to increased knowledge of environmental issues, improved environmental ethics and increased desire to discover, learn, protect and preserve nature. In other words, learning about the environment and nature may have a significant positive impact on the behavior of children's connection to nature and the environment. Nature offers real opportunities for children to grow and learn. In light of the current results, the research recommended the necessity of integrating the traditional approach of the early learning stage with a curriculum on the appreciation of nature and environmental awareness. Also, there is a need to train teachers to work in nature with children and educate the community, especially parents, about the importance of learning in nature for their children.

Greenspaces provide several well-being (Dinnie et al., 2013) and psychosocial benefits (Addy et al., 2004). Community-engaged research affords community partners a voice in the project (Cushman et al., 2004). This study assessed Detroit community members' perceived benefits of and suggestions for engaging with the community to support greenspaces. Through qualitative analysis, a three-step process for community-engaged planning was revealed. Findings highlight strategies that involve community members in this process to enhance community engagement and well-being.

It was purposed in this study to reveal the trend in the relevant field by making a bibliometric evaluation of the educational research articles published on botanic gardens, national parks, and natural monuments in the Web of Science (WoS) database. Within the scope of quantitative methodology, the bibliometrics was applied in the study. The data were taken from the WoS database generated by Clarivate Analytics. The study data covered the years between 1975 and 2020. Bibliometric analysis techniques were used in the analysis of the data. 44,138 records related to the study subject were obtained in the WoS database, and 98 of them were determined in the category of educational research. Analyses were conducted on 58 articles in the category of educational research. As a result of the analyses, it was observed that half of the articles were published in the last 5 years. It was also concluded that the publication language of the articles was predominantly English and that the researchers working in the United States provided the highest contribution to the related literature by producing 20 articles. In addition, it was determined that the most effective journals related to the study subject were "Environmental Education Research" and "Journal of Environmental Education". A total of 180 different keywords were included in the analyzed articles, and the most used ones were "environmental education" and "botanic garden". It was also concluded that 1885 different publications, 1596 authors, and 1309 sources were cited in the articles examined within this research. The articles in the WoS database were examined in this study, and it is important to carry out similar studies in different publication types and databases in terms of revealing the trend in this subject.

The increase in childhood obesity requires the incorporation of nutritional competence into school programs through appropriate activities, starting in the early years. In addition, it is important to promote scientific and cognitive skills during childhood education. The main objective of this study was the implementation of an instructional sequence focused on the learning of skills such as observation, measurement, or interpretation of data related to plants, their germination, and their growth, as well as its relation with the development of food competence. To do so, a set of differentiated activities, organized into several stages, was designed, starting from simple and concrete situations and progressively increasing in complexity and abstraction. The aims were to express ideas about known fruits, vegetables, and legumes in order to expand them by learning new information through student-centered activities, in which children were able to practice and talk about science. The activities were carried out in a class of 24 students aged 4-5 years and data were compared with a control group. The results revealed that the children were motivated in all the activities, which provided an excellent opportunity to initially develop an interest in science and to start to develop food competence in the early years.

The much-needed interest in promoting a healthy lifestyle among school-age students has found a context for development: school gardens. There are numerous studies where using gardens as a teaching-learning context also improves students' performance in the experimental sciences. In this study, we proposed another interest that sets it apart and adds motivation: combining curricular mathematics with experimental science content in this context. The search for possible studies in the scientific literature has gave rise to the review presented herein. From this review, we obtained 21 studies, from which we extracted a series of categories: whether research was undertaken and with which tools; which curricular contents were covered and the impact produced; the ages of the participants and duration of the project; and, finally, whether the garden was cultivated. The main conclusion of this search was the lack of a clear line of research linking school gardens, the experimental sciences, and mathematics, in addition to the scant presence of studies framed in this context. For that reason, we send a call to action to the scientific community encouraging the interdisciplinarity of the two aforementioned subjects within the context of school gardens.

It is critical to develop students' science communication skills as they progress through their education. One way this goal can be accomplished is by integrating Flip into educational programs. Through Flip educators create prompts that students respond to in video form, which leads to deeper discussion on various topics. This brief will share an example of how Flip was used with high school students spending time at a botanical garden to not only promote science communication skills but to help engage them with plant life. In this activity students assume the role of "educator" by becoming an expert on a specific plant species and recording a video introducing others to that organism.

This narrative imagines the future of education through three vignettes, each of which describes a community of learners exploring artifacts from the past even as they learn together in the present. Scenarios trace the experiences of Eden, who was born in 2012, and her involvement with learning and educational institutions. Threaded through vignettes are clues about what is valued and how what is valued is created and measured--all of which relate directly to the influence of policy in shaping society. By focusing on the experiences of participants at three points in time, narratives explore how society might evolve toward the preferable, toward ecologies that nourish and sustain life--and lifelong learning.