Do green schoolyards enhance students’ positive feeling of schoolyards?

Use of nature-based school grounds can enhance students’ perceptions of schoolyard benefits

Implementing nature-rich elements in schoolyards may enhance school experiences by connecting children with nature. Previous research provides evidence of green schoolyards can be beneficial to children and community, but little research explores students’ perceptions about the benefits of schoolyards and how natural elements and the use may shape student experience.

This research addressed this by examining the relationship between nature-based attributes and nature-based use with students’ perceptions of schoolyards’ benefits to self (e.g. playing, learning) and the community (e.g. improving air and water quality) across 9 schools in Raleigh, North Carolina (n = 199). In general, students viewed schoolyards in a positive way, and they perceived more benefits to self than community. From regression analyses, we found that the isolated effect of the presence of nature-based attributes was limited. Instead, the use of nature-based attributes had a stronger effect on students’ positive feelings towards schoolyards.

The findings suggest that schoolyard greening efforts should be paired with policies and curricular practices to encourage interaction with nature-based elements to ensure benefits are fully realized by students. (#greenschoolyard #children #benefit)