148 research outputs found
Green Walls for a Restorative Classroom Environment:A Controlled Evaluation Study
In the present research, we evaluated the restorative impacts of green walls with living plants in classrooms of two elementary schools using a controlled, prospective design with baseline measurements and follow-ups at 2 and 4 months. At each time of measurement, children's (n = 170, age = 7-10) cognitive performance, well-being, and classroom evaluations were measured with attentional tests and self-report questionnaires. Results show that children in the four classrooms where a green wall was placed, as compared with children in control groups, scored better on a test for selective attention; processing speed was not affected by the green wall. The green wall also positively influenced children's classroom evaluations. There were no measurable effects of the green wall on children's self-reported well-being. The green walls were generally evaluated positively during the two follow-ups. These results provide some of the first empirical support for green walls as a means for restorative classroom design.</p
Green schoolyards as outdoor learning environments:Barriers and solutions as experienced by primary school teachers
With a growing number of primary schools around the globe greening their schoolyards, opportunities arise to realize outdoor learning in natural areas on the school’s premises. Despite their promising potential, green schoolyards as outdoor learning environments remain mostly unintegrated in teachers’ educational practices. In the current study, teachers of five primary schools in Netherlands were followed for two consecutive years during a participatory action research project. Based on their experiences in this project, teachers identified barriers when integrating the green schoolyard as a learning environment and found practice-based solutions to overcome these barriers. Across schools, a total of 20 meetings were organized, with 75 teachers participating in the project. Results revealed four broad themes encompassing barriers and solutions. Teachers feel hindered by outdoor learning having no formal status in their current educational practice, experience barriers related to a lack of confidence in their own outdoor teaching expertise, find it difficult to get started, and experience barriers related to physical constraints. Teachers, professionals, and researchers together found solutions to overcome each specific barrier. These solutions can be translated to general recommendations: just do it, get educated and inspired, engage in real-life experiences, get an outdoor pedagogical mindset, and follow a tailored process. The findings can be used by primary schools and other institutions to develop interventions that support teachers to further integrate the green schoolyard as a learning environment
Greening a Geriatric Ward Reduces Functional Decline in Elderly Patients and is Positively Evaluated by Hospital Staff
This research examined whether greening of a geriatric ward may reduce the hospital-induced decline in the independent functioning of elderly patients as measured by changes from admission to discharge in the KATZ-ADL6 and physician assessments at discharge. Using a quasi-experimental design with 4 months of pre- and post-tests, the functional decline in a sample of 54 hospitalized geriatric patients was found to be lower after greening than before greening for both measures. Moreover, an evaluative survey among 15 staff members showed that they appreciated the greening, and believed it to support patient well-being
Parental perspectives on green schoolyards:advantages outweigh disadvantages, but willingness to help is limited
Parental involvement is critical to the successful implementation of green schoolyards. This paper reports results from two surveys that asked a total of 402 parents of children in schools with green and paved schoolyards about their appreciation of the schoolyard, children’s behavior in the schoolyard, (dis)advantages of a green schoolyard, and willingness to become involved. Parents from schools with a green, compared to a paved, schoolyard showed higher appreciation of the schoolyard and more often reported that the schoolyard supports varied play and other behaviors. Parents generally saw more advantages than disadvantages of a green schoolyard, and many parents indicated that disadvantages, such as children coming home dirty, are not very important to them. Parents wanted to be involved in designing a green schoolyard and with schoolyard activities. However, they were less willing to help with maintenance, and their time to help is limited
Is green space in the living environment associated with people's feelings of social safety?
Abstract.
The authors investigate whether the percentage of green space in people's living environ-
ment affects their feelings of social safety positively or negatively. More specifically they investigate
the extent to which this relationship varies between urban and rural areas, between groups in the
community that can be identified as more or less vulnerable, and the extent to which different types of
green space exert different influences. The study includes 83736 Dutch citizens who were interviewed
about their feelings of social safety. The percentage of green space in the living environment of each
respondent was calculated, and data analysed by use of a three-level latent variable model, controlled
for individual and environmental background characteristics. The analyses suggest that more green
space in people's living environment is associated with enhanced feelings of social safetyöexcept in
very strongly urban areas, where enclosed green spaces are associated with reduced feelings of social
safety. Contrary to the common image of green space as a dangerous hiding place for criminal activity
which causes feelings of insecurity, the results suggest that green space generally enhances feelings of
social safety. The results also suggest, however, that green space in the most urban areas is a matter
of concern with respect to social safety.
Does the Health Impact of Exposure to Neighbourhood Green Space Differ between Population Groups? An Explorative Study in Four European Cities
It has been suggested that certain residents, such as those with
a low socioeconomic status, the elderly, and women, may benefit
more from the presence of neighbourhood green space than others.
We tested this hypothesis for age, gender, educational level,
and employment status in four European cities. Data were
collected in Barcelona (Spain; n = 1002), Kaunas (Lithuania; n =
989), Doetinchem (The Netherlands; n = 847), and Stoke-on-Trent
(UK; n = 933) as part of the EU-funded PHENOTYPE project.
Surveys were used to measure mental and general health,
individual characteristics, and perceived neighbourhood green
space. Additionally, we used audit data about neighbourhood
green space. In Barcelona, there were positive associations
between neighbourhood green space and general health among
low-educated residents. In the other cities and for the other
population groups, there was little evidence that the
association between health and neighbourhood green space
differed between population groups. Overall, our study does not
support the assumption that the elderly, women, and residents
who are not employed full-time benefit more from neighbourhood
green space than others. Only in the highly urbanised city of
Barcelona did the low-educated group benefit from neighbourhood
green spaces. Perhaps neighbourhood green spaces are more
important for the health of low-educated residents in
particularly highly urbanised areas
Neighbourhood green space, social environment and mental health: an examination in four European cities
Objectives
This study examines the relationship between neighbourhood green space, the neighbourhood social environment (social cohesion, neighbourhood attachment, social contacts), and mental health in four European cities.
Methods
The PHENOTYPE study was carried out in 2013 in Barcelona (Spain), Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom), Doetinchem (The Netherlands), and Kaunas (Lithuania). 3771 adults living in 124 neighbourhoods answered questions on mental health, neighbourhood social environment, and amount and quality of green space. Additionally, audit data on neighbourhood green space were collected. Multilevel regression analyses examined the relation between neighbourhood green space and individual mental health and the influence of neighbourhood social environment.
Results
Mental health was only related to green (audit) in Barcelona. The amount and quality of neighbourhood green space (audit and perceived) were related to social cohesion in Doetinchem and Stoke-on-Trent and to neighbourhood attachment in Doetinchem. In all four cities, mental health was associated with social contacts.
Conclusions
Neighbourhood green was related to mental health only in Barcelona. Though neighbourhood green was related to social cohesion and attachment, the neighbourhood social environment seems not the underlying mechanism for this relationship
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