Pathways to nature connection? A photo-elicitation exploration on how children engage with a nature connection programme
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12525895 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Magie Junker (0009-0002-2574-0657, Cardiff University, corresponding author), Kathryn Hobson (0000-0003-4200-9081, Cardiff University), W Poortinga (0000-0002-6926-8545, Cardiff University), Jonathan P Reeves (0000-0003-4723-3015, WWT Slimbridge), Julia Newth (WWT Slimbridge), Mark Stead (WWT Slimbridge), Morgan Marshall (WWT Slimbridge), Maurice Gattis (0000-0002-8665-7577, Cardiff University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-29 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-13 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Education Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1350-4622 • E-ISSN: 1469-5871 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13504622.2025.2600603 |
| OpenAlex | W7115067305 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 86 |
While environmental education programmes have been shown to be effective in increasing knowledge and pro-environmental behaviour, it is not clear what characteristics of the intervention contribute to these outcomes. Detailed evaluations are needed to assess intermediary outcomes of such programmes to clarify the pathways to change. In this study, primary school children were asked to take photos while participating in a nature connection programme and later interviewed about those photos (N = 14). This photo-elicitation method explored which parts of the programme drew their situational interest, how they connected to nature, and how they felt while participating. Results indicated that the participating children were most interested in animals and connected to nature in a variety of ways, with emotional and sensory experiences being most important. Children mostly experienced positive emotions during programme participation. These results can inform the design of environmental education programmes to more effectively foster children’s interest and nature connection
Connection (principal bundle · Environmental education · Intervention (counseling · Outdoor education · Primary education · Qualitative research · Situational ethics · Variety (cybernetics · Animal and Plant Science Education · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Urban Green Space and Health
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| Highly cited | No |
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