Education Review Issue 04 July 2022 | Page 19

in the classroom
We found there was quite compelling evidence to support the argument that exposure to nature does actually improve cognitive functioning . We focused on studies that had children from five to 18 years of age in school settings , and we found that it did improve cognitive functioning . It improved attention and working memory . These are all really important for learning .
To what extent do students need to be immersed in nature to receive its benefits ? We found that there were two main types of activities that the students could be engaged in . One is the more passive type , where they could be watching nature through a classroom window , or there could be plants in a classroom , or they could have a green wall somewhere . They ’ re not necessarily interacting with nature , but they might be observing it while they ’ re learning in the school environment .
The other type is where they ’ re more engaged and interactive with nature . That might be things like gardening , or creating their own green walls , or going out on a nature walk and smelling the fragrances and appreciating the beauty of nature .
What we found in our review was that it didn ’ t make an awful lot of difference . Both forms were really beneficial to relieving this mental fatigue that our students can experience .
A range of other studies more broadly show that the more connected you are with nature , and the more mindful you are of nature , the benefits are usually much more substantial , particularly for overall wellbeing and reduction of stress .
Simply having a plant in the classroom is enough to help students learn better ? Yes , very much . The research is pointing in that direction . There was a unit in a Melbourne University study which showed that when you are in an office environment , or in a classroom , if you can look out the window and see nature , even for 40 seconds , it has a restorative effect on you .
Why is school the best place to help young people reconnect with nature ? I think school has a very important role to play in connecting students with nature . Particularly because young people are often living in urban environments . They are with technology all the time , they ’ re digital natives , and they have very little time during the day to be able to go out in nature .
It ’ s pretty easy to incorporate some of these things in school settings . Some of it is in relation to the design , the physical built environment of the school . It ’ s good to be able to have natural light , nature views from classrooms and incorporating things like green walls and herb gardens , and maybe have things like water fountains if possible .
I also think schools can do this through the curriculum . There ’ s an opportunity to educate young people about the importance and the benefits of nature . You can include topics like sustainability and climate change , but also how nature actually relates to wellbeing .
There are studies that have shown that connecting with nature leads to a lot more collaboration and cooperation , and thinking about others . They ’ re really important qualities within a school setting .
More specifically , the systematic review shows that there is improved attention and working memory . This means that students can concentrate better , they can process information more quickly , and they can retain knowledge more quickly . Schools are about trying to produce the best learning environment for young people to thrive . And if nature can play a role in that , then why couldn ’ t schools introduce more greenery into their environment , and more education around nature , and sustainability and the environment .
What about the benefits for teachers ? The same effects apply to teachers . Everyone in the school system would benefit from it to the same extent . Just like students need to be switched on , and be able to concentrate , and to remember , and retain information , and to work cooperatively , so do teachers .
Teachers can also be more alert , they can have lower stress levels , and they can be more cooperative . It ’ s a win-win for everyone .
Some students have behavioural issues that can be difficult to manage . Is being in nature a way to calm students ? Most definitely it is . There are a number of theories around why nature is beneficial to wellbeing . One of them is Stress Reduction Theory , and it has shown that
Connecting with nature leads to a lot more collaboration and cooperation , and thinking about others .
it can reduce physiological activation . It activates the parasympathetic nervous system which helps to keep you calm , to make you more focused .
When you are calm physiologically , your heart rate and blood pressure is reduced . You are more likely to be calm and you ’ re more likely to be receptive to information and to learning .
Nature has been shown through a number of physiological studies to reduce the level of activation and busyness both in the mind and in the body . That calming effect can be really helpful for those that experience challenges in the classroom to stay focused , or to be able to sit down .
So how should we incorporate nature in our schools ? Schools should have a whole suite of activities that promote nature connectedness , to enable students to try out a variety of those different types of activities and to see which ones they prefer the most , to see which ones calm them the most , or the ones that help them to get focused .
A variety of studies for example , have found that listening to nature sounds compared to a noisy environment can be really positive in helping you to recover from stressful learning environments .
Gardening in schools is great and can be one way to incorporate nature , but it also include posters around the school of lovely pictures of nature . It could be pictures of nature on screensavers . It could be music that has beautiful bird sounds in it .
It can be virtual as well , so watching videos of nature at the beginning of a class , just to help people settle down , maybe after they ’ ve come back from their lunch break and they ’ re a little bit activated . The real is more potent , but the virtual also can have beneficial effects . There ’ s so many ways in which schools can actually help young people to connect with nature . ■ educationreview . com . au | 17