Skip to main content

The Values of Nature Pedagogy in Primary Education

Firstly, how do we define exactly what nature pedagogy is? Many people will have their own definition of what nature pedagogy is. However, according to the founder of the International Association of Nature Pedagogy, Claire Warden (2018), ‘’Nature Pedagogy is a way of working with children and creating settings for care and education that embraces nature.’’ This can be achieved through different outdoor settings such as, forests, beaches and other accessible outdoor areas. ‘’The natural world is vital to our existence, providing us with essentials such as food, water and clean air, but also other cultural and health benefits not always fully appreciated because we get them for free.’’ (Spelman. C, 2011) When in the outdoor space, the focus then turns to appreciating the outdoors and creating connections with your natural surroundings.


The whole idea of nature pedagogy is based on connection. Connection to the outdoors and connection to yourself. In today’s society it’s hard to switch off and concentrate on what’s in front of you. By taking children outside and giving them one on one time with nature they are able to refocus themselves. A study was done on primary school children where biology lessons were held outside and then followed by the rest of the days lessons being carried out inside. The study showed that the children’s levels of engagement were higher in the lessons following the outdoor one. ‘’This held true for different teachers, different times of day, and different times of year.’’ (Suttie. J, 2018) The teacher would only have to redirect the children’s attention half as often as usual. This study was backed up by Ming Kuo of the University of Illinois. Kuo said ‘’Kids can actually pay better attention in class after an outdoor lesson.’’ (Kuo. M, 2018) This shows that outdoor relationships have cognitive benefits.

Another value of nature pedagogy is that the future generation get to see the beauty behind nature and learn the importance of looking after the planet. Almost every other day we hear about a new animal being added to the endangered list, the rise of greenhouse gases or how the ice caps are melting at an alarming rate. The list of current environmental issues could go on forever and will only continue to grow, unless the future generation are being educated on their impact on the earth and how to reduce their footprint. The teaching of this is essentially vital for a future filled with vibrant nature. ‘’By fostering more opportunities for outdoor learning, we will help the next generation grow and develop as they build an appreciation for nature at an early age.” (Crim. C, 2018)

With the rise of technology, children now have on average, ‘’two hours and nineteen minutes’’ of screen time a day, which has ‘’tripled in the last four years.’’ (Hopkinson. A, 2017) these statistics were found back in 2017 and since then have more than likely increased. The National Trust survey has found that Britain’s children aged between 11 and 15 years now ‘’spend about half of their waking lives in front of a screen… an increase of 40% in a decade.’’ (Moss. S, 2012) ‘For a new generation, nature is more abstraction than reality. Increasingly, nature is something to watch, to consume, to wear – to ignore.’’ (Louv. R, 2005 p.2)

The ignorance has led to a lack of contact with nature. Which in turn, has led to the children of today’s society to suffer from a recent phenomenon called nature deficit disorder. What is nature deficit disorder? ‘’Nature Deficit Disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses.’’ (Louv. R, 2005 p.34) The National Trust Survey (2008) discovered that ‘’half could not tell the difference between a bee and a wasp; yet nine out of ten could recognise a Dalek’’ (National Trust, 2008) These statistics would be shocking for anyone to read! It has been proven that both physical and mental health problems can occur from a lack of engagement with nature. Louv said ‘’Just as children need good nutrition and adequate sleep, they may very well need contact with nature.’’ (Louv. R, 2005)

The statistics given are truly shocking and leave me in fear of what the future could be if we don’t make a change for the next generation. Courtney Crim gave an excellent summary of why nature pedagogy really should be valued within education. “Fresh air, exercise, and creative exploration are just a few of the benefits children can experience when they spend time outdoors. Encouraging children to be active while outdoors is important for their physical, cognitive, and social development. (Crim. C, 2018)

References
Crim. C (2018) ‘Connecting Kids to nature’ (online) Available at: https://www.plt.org/about-us/connecting-kids-to-nature/ Accessed on: 25/11/2018
Hopkinson. A (2017) ‘Time Children Spend on Mobile Devices has Tripled in Four years’ (online) Available at: https://edsource.org/2017/time-children-spend-on-mobile-devices-has-tripled-in-four-years/589180 Accessed on: 25/11/2018
Louv. R (2005) ‘Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder’ Alognquin Books, Chapel Hill, pp.2-34. 
Moss. S (2012) ‘Natural Childhood’ (online) Available at: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/documents/read-our-natural-childhood-report.pdf Accessed on: 25/11/2018
National Trust (2008) Quote taken from ‘Wildlife Alien to Indoor Children’ (online) Available at: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/documents/read-our-natural-childhood-report.pdf Accessed on:25/11/2018
Spelman. C (2011) Quote from ‘Nature is Worth Billions to UK’ (online) Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13616543 Accessed on: 25/11/2018
Suttie. J (2018) ‘The Surprising Benefits of Teaching a Class Outside’ (online) Available at: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_surprising_benefits_of_teaching_a_class_outside Accessed on 25/11/2018
Warden. C (2018) ‘Nature Pedagogy: A common thread connecting nature-based settings worldwide’ (online) Available at: https://naturalstart.org/feature-stories/nature-pedagogy-common-thread-connecting-nature-based-settings-worldwide Accessed on: 25/11/2018
Pictures:
https://www.getoutmorecic.co.uk/event/st-ives-holiday-forest-school-12/
https://www.gazelle.com/thehorn/2014/03/10/whats-right-age-get-kid-phone/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pedagogical Principles and the Curriculum

‘’The curriculum is continuously subject to pressures to change’’ and rightly so. The world we live in is constantly changing and what each individual needs from the curriculum is changing with it. ‘’Each child and young person in Wales should be able to benefit from the curriculum.’’ (Donaldson. G, 2015) How is the curriculum design decided? There are many influences upon the curriculum, by different types of people. The schools and those working within them will have a say. Investors, stakeholders and the government will also have a strong influence and or say in what happens. When it comes to deciding the principles for the curriculum there are certain things you need to consider. Authenticity is one of them. Here in Wales we have some great culture and values that need to be considered when creating a curriculum. Once decided upon these need to be ‘aligned with an agreed set of stated purpose.’ Another thing that needs to be considered is how well researched the pract...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sustainability in Primary Education

As our current relationship with mother nature deteriorates, it is important now more than ever to ensure children are aware globally, not just locally aware of what is happening in the world and the impact the have on it. Schooling is one of the best ways to ensure children are engaging with environmental issues and learning about sustainability. ‘Issues such as economic migration, climate change and usage of digital technology have meant that what happens elsewhere in the world can have a direct impact on children’s lives in the UK and vice versa.’ (Bourn. Et al, 2016) Firstly, what is sustainability? Sustainability can be defined in two ways, ‘the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld or confirmed’ or the ‘the quality of not being harmful to the environment or not depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.’ (Dictionary.com, 2019) To answer the stated question I will be focusing on the later of the definitions as this one is gea...
Post a Comment
Read more