Reconnecting Urban Youth to Nature in a Place-Based Program for Wellbeing and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: A Qualitatively Driven Mixed-Methods Pilot Study-Journal of Sustainability Research-CSCIED科技核心评价数据库-手机版

Reconnecting Urban Youth to Nature in a Place-Based Program for Wellbeing and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: A Qualitatively Driven Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

Reconnecting Urban Youth to Nature in a Place-Based Program for Wellbeing and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: A Qualitatively Driven Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

ES评分 0 浏览量：143 下载量：0

全文阅读下载引用收藏

DOI	10.20900/jsr20260009
刊名	Journal of Sustainability Research JSR
年，卷(期)	2026, 8(1)
作者	Tonia Gray,Fiona Pigott*,
作者单位	Centre for Educational Research, School of Education, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia ;
摘要	This mixed-methods research examined the impact of the Guardians of the Park program, a 10-week nature-based intervention supporting adolescents experiencing social and educational disadvantage in Western Sydney. Grounded in biophilia theory and utilising a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the study explored whether immersive habitat restoration, cultural learning, and outdoor education could strengthen nature connectedness, self-esteem, and social-emotional wellbeing. Quantitative data were collected using the Extended Inclusion of Nature in Self (EINS) scale, complemented by qualitative data from observations, interviews, and reflective field notes. Due to irregular attendance and literacy challenges, qualitative data emerged as the most reliable indicator of student experience and change. Findings demonstrated notable improvements in social skills, confidence, autonomy, and executive functioning. Participants showed strengthened peer relationships, increased willingness to take on leadership roles, and greater emotional regulation. A deepening attunement to place emerged as students became more observant, appreciative, and respectful of the natural environment. Cultural engagement with First Nations educators proved particularly influential, fostering belonging, curiosity, and connection to Country. The program structure, flexible, relational, experiential, and strengths-based, was found to support its effectiveness. From these findings, a set of provisional design principles were analytically derived, highlight the importance of cultural grounding, reflective practice, intergenerational connection, and participatory program structures. The study suggests that structured nature-based programs may support pro-social behaviour, wellbeing, and ecological connection among disengaged youth, offering insights to inform future research and contextually responsive practice across education, public health, and community initiatives. A longer-term project implementation phase will extend through 2028 to refine tools and measure sustained effects.
Abstract	This mixed-methods research examined the impact of the Guardians of the Park program, a 10-week nature-based intervention supporting adolescents experiencing social and educational disadvantage in Western Sydney. Grounded in biophilia theory and utilising a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the study explored whether immersive habitat restoration, cultural learning, and outdoor education could strengthen nature connectedness, self-esteem, and social-emotional wellbeing. Quantitative data were collected using the Extended Inclusion of Nature in Self (EINS) scale, complemented by qualitative data from observations, interviews, and reflective field notes. Due to irregular attendance and literacy challenges, qualitative data emerged as the most reliable indicator of student experience and change. Findings demonstrated notable improvements in social skills, confidence, autonomy, and executive functioning. Participants showed strengthened peer relationships, increased willingness to take on leadership roles, and greater emotional regulation. A deepening attunement to place emerged as students became more observant, appreciative, and respectful of the natural environment. Cultural engagement with First Nations educators proved particularly influential, fostering belonging, curiosity, and connection to Country. The program structure, flexible, relational, experiential, and strengths-based, was found to support its effectiveness. From these findings, a set of provisional design principles were analytically derived, highlight the importance of cultural grounding, reflective practice, intergenerational connection, and participatory program structures. The study suggests that structured nature-based programs may support pro-social behaviour, wellbeing, and ecological connection among disengaged youth, offering insights to inform future research and contextually responsive practice across education, public health, and community initiatives. A longer-term project implementation phase will extend through 2028 to refine tools and measure sustained effects.
关键词	sustainability education; disadvantaged adolescents; urban greenspace; nature connectedness; nature and wellbeing
KeyWord	sustainability education; disadvantaged adolescents; urban greenspace; nature connectedness; nature and wellbeing
基金项目
页码	-

参考文献
相关文献

1.Kaplan S. The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework. J Environ Psychol. 1995;15(3):169-82.

2.Kellert SH. Biophilic design: the theory, science, and practice of bringing buildings to life. Hoboken (NJ, US): Wiley; 2008.

3.Louv R. Last child in the woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. 6th ed. Chapel Hill (NC, US): Algonqun Books of Chapel Hill; 2006.

4.Richardson M. Beyond restoration: considering emotion regulation in natural well-being. Ecopsychol. 2019;11(1):1-19.

5.Tillmann S, Tobin D, Avison W, Gilliland J. Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2018;72(10):958-66.

6.Tuan YF. Space and place: the perspective of experience. Minneapolis (MN, US): University of Minnesota Press; 1977.

7.Schultz PW. Inclusion with nature: the psychology of human-nature relations. In: Schmuck P, Schultz WP, editors. Psychology of sustainable development. Norwell (MA, US): Norwell; 2002. p. 62-78.

8.Bezeljak P, Torkar G, Möller A. Understanding Austrian middle school students’ connectedness with nature. J Environ Educ. 2023;54(3):181-98.

9.Down MJA, Chivers P, Kirsch P, Picknoll D. Wellbeing and nature connectedness for emerging adult undergraduates after a short expedition: a small pilot study. Health Promot J Aust. 2022;33(3):912-9.

10.Gray T, Pigott F. Lasting lessons in outdoor learning: a facilitation model emerging from 30 years of reflective practice. Ecopsychol. 2018;10(4):195-204.

11.Price E, Maguire S, Firth C, Lumber R, Richardson M, Young R. Factors associated with nature connectedness in school-aged children. Curr Res Ecol Soc Psychol. 2022;3:100037.

12.Richardson M. The curious tale of children’s nature connection: finding nature. 2022. Available from: https://findingnature.org.uk/2022/02/03/the-curious-tale-of-childrens-nature-connection/. Accessed on 25 Nov 2025.

13.Michaelson V, King N, Janssen I, Lawal S, Pickett W. Electronic screen technology use and connection to nature in Canadian adolescents: a mixed methods study. Can J Public Health. 2020;111(4):502-14.

14.Bratman GN, Daily GC, Levy BJ, Gross JJ. The benefits of nature experience: improved affect and cognition. Landsc Urban Plan. 2015;138:41-50.

15.Kuo FE, Sullivan WC. Environment and crime in the inner cty: does vegetation reduce crime? Environ Behav. 2001;33(3):343-67.

16.Wang R, Feng Z, Pearce J. Neighbourhood greenspace quantity, quality and socioeconomic inequalities in mental health. Cities. 2022;129:103815.

17.Faber Taylor A, Kuo FE. Could exposure to everyday green spaces help treat ADHD? Evidence from children’s play settings. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2011;3(3):281-303.

18.Mitchell R, Popham F. Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study. Lancet. 2008;372(9650):1655-60.

19.Jordan R. The equigenic effect: how nature access can level the playing field for children. Saint Paul (MN, US): Children and Nature Network; 2020.

20.Mitchell RJ, Richardson EA, Shortt NK, Pearce JR. Neighborhood environments and socioeconomic inequalities in mental well-being. Am J Prev Med. 2015;49(1):80-4.

21.Kuo FE, Sullivan WC. Aggression and violence in the inner city: effects of environment via mental fatigue. Environ Behav. 2001;33(4):543-71.

22.Richardson M. Smartphones and nature connection: finding nature. 2018. Available from: https://findingnature.org.uk/2018/04/23/smartphones-and-nature-connection/. Accessed on 25 Nov 2025.

23.Ratan ZA, Parrish AM, Bin Zaman S, Alotaibi MS, Hosseinzadeh H. Smartphone addiction and associated health outcomes in adult populations: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(22):12257.

24.Relph E. Digital disorientation and place. Mem Stud. 2021;14(3):572-7.

25.Ballouard JM, Brischoux F, Bonnet X. Children prioritize virtual exotic biodiversity over local biodiversity. PLoS ONE. 2011;6(8):23152.

26.Nisbet EK, Zelenski JM, Murphy SA. Happiness is in our nature: exploring nature relatedness as a contributor to subjective well-being. J Happiness Stud. 2011;12(2):303-22.

27.Mayer FS, Frantz CM. The connectedness to nature scale: a measure of individuals’ feeling in community with nature. J Environ Psychol. 2004;24(4):503-15.

28.Martin C, Czellar S. The extended inclusion of nature in self scale. J Environ Psychol. 2016;47:181-94.

29.Braun T, Dierkes P. Evaluating three dimensions of environmental knowledge and their impact on behaviour. Res Sci Educ. 2019;49(5):1347-65.

30.Schultz PW, Tabanico JJ. Self, identity, and the natural environment: exploring implicit connections with nature. J Appl Soc Psychol. 2007;37(6):1219-47.

31.UNESCO. Global action programme on education for sustainable development: information folder. Paris (France): United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; 2015.

32.Krettenauer T, Wang W, Jia F, Yao Y. Connectedness with nature and the decline of pro-environmental behavior in adolescence: a comparison of Canada and China. J Environ Psychol. 2020;71:101348.

33.Otto S, Evans G, Moon M, Kaiser F. The development of children’s environmental attitude and behavior. Glob Environ Change. 2019;58:101947.

34.Clayton SD, Opotow S. Identity and the natural environment: the psychological significance of nature. Cambridge (MA, US): MIT Press; 2003.

35.Tracey D, Gray T, Manohar N, Kingsley J, Bailey A, Pettitt P. Identifying key benefits and characteristics of community gardening for vulnerable populations: a systematic review. Health Soc Care Community. 2023;2023(1):5570089.

36.Australian Government. Australian institute of health and welfare. Bruce (ACT, Australia): AIHW; 2023.

37.Australian Autism Alliance. National autism strategy: issues paper. Greenway (ACT, Australia): Department of Social Services; 2022.

38.Beyond Blue. Anxiety in children and adolescents: evidence summary. Melbourne (VIC, Australia): Beyond Blue; 2023.

39.Western Sydney Parklands. Guardians of the park. Parramatta (NSW Australia): Western Sydney Parklands; 2024.

40.Smith JA, Osborn M. Interpretative phenomenological analysis as a useful methodology for research on the lived experience of pain. Br J Pain. 2015;9(1):41-2.

41.Haraway D. Staying with the trouble: making kin in the chthulucene. Deham (NC, USA): Duke University Press; 2020.

42.Yu S. Becoming in/out of place: doing research in Chinatown as a Chinese female geographer in the era of transnationalism. Prof Geogr. 2019;72(2):272-82.

43.McArdle R. Flexible methodologies: a case for approaching research with fluidity. Prof Geogr. 2022;74(4):620-7.

44.Bolzan N, Gale F. Using an interrupted space to explore social resilience with marginalized youth. Qual Soc Work. 2011;11(5):502-16.

45.Denzin N, Lincoln Y. The SAGE handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks (CA, US): SAGE; 2011.

46.Headspace. Two-thirds of young people feel lonely. London (UK): Headspace; 2024.

47.Caspi A, Harrington H, Moffitt TE, Milne BJ, Poulton R. Socially isolated children 20 years later: risk of cardiovascular disease. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160(8):805-11.

48.Jefferson R, Barreto M, Verity L, Qualter P. Loneliness during the school years: how it affects learning and how schools can help. J Sch Health. 2023;93(5):428-35.

49.Hari J. Lost connections: why you’re depressed and how to find hope. London (UK): Bloomsbury Publishing; 2018.

50.Abram D. Becoming animal. New York (NY, US): Random House; 2010.

51.Stitt J. For Rachel Carson, wonder was a radical state of mind. Melbourne (VIC, Australia): Aeon Media Group Ltd.; 2019.

52.Wandersee JH, Schussler EE. Preventing plant blindness. Am Biol Teacher. 1999;61(2):82-6.

53.Prum R. The evolution of beauty: how Darwin’s forgotten theory of mate choice shapes the animal world—and us. New York (NY, US): Doubleday; 2017.

54.Creswell JW, Clark VLP. Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks (CA, US): SAGE; 2017.

55.Hagan TL. Measurements in quantitative research: how to select and report on research instruments. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2014;41(4):431-3.

56.Gray T, Birrell C. Are biophilic-designed site office buildings linked to health benefits and high performing occupants? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014;11(12):12204-22.

57.Madera F, Olcese M, Migliorini L. A systematic review of nature connectedness in adolescents and young adults: fostering environmental responsibility and sustainable practices. J Prev Interv Community. 2024;52:400-34.

58.Harris NM, Hartwell B, Thomas L, Grace M. How can nature connectedness and behaviours for learning be deliberately developed in children, adolescents and young adults? A systematic literature review. Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2025;30(2):168-85.

59.Li B, Liu Y, Liu Y. Exploring the impact of neighbourhood nature exposure on older adults’ subjective wellbeing, nature connectedness and nature contact: a case study in Guangzhou. Appl Spatial Anal Policy. 2026;19(1):6.

60.Olcese M, Madera F, Cardinali P, Migliorini L. Contact with nature and youth well-being: insights from natural and urban contexts. Curr Opin Psychol. 2026;67:102199.

61.Education Council. Alice Springs (Mparntwe) education declaration. Canberra (ACT, Australia): Australian Government; 2019.

62.Australian Government. Understand this cross-curriculum priority—Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Canberra (ACT, Australia): Australian Government; 2025.

63.NSW Education. Aboriginal education. Parramatta (NSW, Australia): NSW Education; 2025.

64.Kaplan M, Sanchez M, Hoffman J. Intergenerational strategies for preserving and appreciating the natural environment. In: Kaplan M, Sanchez M, Hoffman J, editors. Intergenerational pathways to a sustainable society. Cham (Switzerland): Springer International Publishing; 2017. p. 163-74.

65.Aruta JJBR. The intergenerational transmission of nature relatedness predicts green purchase intention among Filipino adolescents: cross-age invariance and the role of social responsibility. Curr Psychol. 2023;42:7297-308.

66.Reyes Bernard N, Sofija E, Cartmel J, Harris N. Bridging generations through nature: a scoping review. J Intergenerational Relat. 2025:1-27. doi: 10.1080/15350770.2025.2497796.

67.Webster M, Norwood K, Waterworth J, Leavey G. Effectiveness of intergenerational exchange programs between adolescents and older adults: a systematic review. J Intergenerational Relat. 2023;22(4):603-44.

68.Thomas L, Taylor N, Gray T. Building relationship on and with Mother Mountain: women incorporating Indigenous knowledge into outdoor learning. In: Gray T, Mitten D, editors. The Palgrave international handbook of women and outdoor learning. Hampshire (UK): Palgrave Macmillan; 2018. p. 147-68.

69.Claro S, Paunesku D, Dweck CS. Growth mindset tempers the effects of poverty on academic achievement. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2018;113:8664-8.

70.Boon A. Nature journaling. Available from: https://alexboonart.com/nature-journaling/. Accessed on 25 Nov. 2025.

71.Ghani RB, Lau PW, Lu N, Zhou P, Wang JJ. Investigating the impact of adventure education on children’s physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development: a mixed method systematic review. PLoS ONE. 2025;20(6):0327181.

72.Eager D. Benefit–risk assessment in sport and recreation: historical development and review of AS ISO 4980:2023. Standards. 2024;4(2):66-78.

73.Pigott F, Gray T, Sturges M, Barnes J, Sahlberg P. In the child’s best interest: holistic learning through risk taking in natural environments. In: Gray T, Sturges M, Barnes JJ, editors. Risk and outdoor play. Cham (Switzerland): Springer; 2025. p. 235-54.

74.Chan AS. Storytelling, culture, and Indigenous methodology. In: Bainbridge A, Formenti L, West L, editors. Discourses, dialogue and diversity in biographical research: an ecology of life and learning. Leiden (The Netherlands): Brill; 2021. p. 170-85.

75.Mobbs D, Hagan CC, Dalgleish T, Silston B, Prévost C. The ecology of human fear: survival optimization and the nervous system. Front Neurosci. 2015;9:121062.

76.Afkar M, Gholami A, Gavagsaz-Ghoachani R, Phattanasak M, Pierfederici S. Sustainable education for sustainable future: art of storytelling for enhancing creativity, knowledge retention on the acme of successful education. IEEE Access. 2024;12:101782-96.

77.Carr NG. The shallows: what the Internet is doing to our brains. 1st ed. New York (NY, US): W.W. Norton & Co.; 2010.

78.Garden A. An exploration of children’s experiences of the use of digital technology in forest schools. J Adventure Educ Outdoor Learn. 2022;24(1):93-107.

79.Loeffler TA. A picture is worth... capturing meaning and facilitating connections: using outdoor education students’ photographs. J Outdoor Environ Educ. 2004;8:56-63.

80.Fugard A, Potts WW. Supporting thinking on sample sizes for thematic analyses: a quantitative tool. Int J Soc Res Methodol. 2015;16(6):669-84.

81.Faber J, Fonseca LM. How sample size influences research outcomes. J Orthod. 2014;19(4):27-9.

82.Leung L. Validity, reliability, and generalizability in qualitative research. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2015;4(3):324-7.

引用本文

Tonia Gray,Fiona Pigott*. Reconnecting Urban Youth to Nature in a Place-Based Program for Wellbeing and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: A Qualitatively Driven Mixed-Methods Pilot Study [J]. Journal of Sustainability Research. 2026; 8; (1). - .

文献评论

相关学者

相关机构