With growing interest in naturalising school play areas, it is important to ensure that these environments are well designed and managed to deliver a number of benefits to pupils and society as a whole.
Filka Sekulová and Isabel Ruiz Marén, researchers at the Urban Transformation and Global Change Lab (TURBA Lab) of the Interdisciplinary Internet Institute (IN3) at the University of Catalonia Oberta (UOC), Environmental Science and Policy We consider what is needed to design these environments in order to propose governance solutions that drive success at all levels.
Truly effective cooperation and inclusive participation
The study is based on the analysis of the design process of green schoolyards in four cities: Barcelona (Transformem els patis [Transforming school playgrounds] Programmes), Paris, Brussels and Rotterdam.
“We found that in the four cities we studied, most efforts are directed at encouraging participation in the design and preparation of spaces, but less so in the implementation and maintenance stages. However, children tend to value a place more highly if they have been involved in its construction, for example by doing small tasks,” said Sekulova, who led the study.
“Effective collaboration between pupils, parents, teachers, designers, architects, funders and local stakeholders is essential during the various stages of the construction of a school garden.”
Another important factor is encouraging inclusive participation. In low-income, working-class neighborhoods, families tend to participate less than in more affluent neighborhoods. This is not because of a lack of interest, but because their jobs or socio-economic situations do not allow them to volunteer; their main concern is often making ends meet.
“This low participation rate often translates into poor quality school green spaces in these areas. One way to address this is to offer substantial compensation for participation, such as free meals or childcare services, as part of the participation process for these communities,” Sekulova said.
It's important to involve passionate architects and landscape designers
To create a successful space that meets the needs of both children and the community, the profile of the architects and landscape designers involved is key: they should be committed to education, pedagogy, landscape ecology and permaculture in general.
The researchers found that “when these professionals are open to a horizontal co-creative process with experiential and artistic dimensions, the results are significantly better: schoolyards are diverse, green and unique, and they provide spaces where pupils can develop a sense of belonging.”
“Conversely, when architects treat the transformation process as 'just another urbanization project,' the resulting designs are less ambitious and more uniform and standardized, and do not foster creative play or engender a sense of belonging.”
When asked what green spaces should look like, Sekulova replied, “We must dare to create wilder, less structured spaces that are based in nature.” Science has shown that the inclusion of loose items, such as natural and recycled materials, stimulates creativity and imagination (Theory of Loose Parts, Simon Nicholson, 1972).
These green play areas can therefore include hills, bridges, paths, tunnels, trees, shrubs, wood chip floors, and other items. In terms of play equipment, it is recommended to install huts and climbing frames made from recycled timber (including tree trunks), amphitheatres, orchards and vegetable patches, water and mud elements, and water collection infrastructure.
These environments are more flexible and less overly structured, which encourages outdoor learning and fosters more diverse and creative play than paved playgrounds. “Research has shown that young people who spend time in areas with vegetation are better able to concentrate, generally cope better with stressful life events, and have fewer symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity,” Sekulova said.
The challenge of integrating educational curricula
Despite the many benefits of children spending time in green spaces, education systems are currently not equipped to integrate outdoor activities into the learning system. “Firstly, outdoor education is not part of the compulsory curriculum. Secondly, there is a general lack of training in outdoor education and it is often seen as extra work that goes unvalued,” said Sekulova.
The researchers suggest incorporating outdoor learning and teaching modules into teacher preparation programmes and providing training to current education professionals. They also say family pressure can be a lever for change.
As a next step, Sekulova and Luis-Maren suggest further research into good practice and what drives the use of outdoor spaces for education. More research is also needed into how outdoor learning can improve socio-environmental awareness and general sustainability skills.
More information:
Filka Sekurova et al., “Green Schoolyard Governance Configurations” Environmental Science and Policy (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103752
Provided by the Open University of Catalonia
Citation: Proper greening of schoolyards promotes inclusion, creative learning and child wellbeing (August 29, 2024) Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://phys.org/news/2024-08-proper-greening-schoolyards-fosters-inclusion.html
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