Nature-based early childhood education and children's social, emotional and cognitive development: a mixed-methods systematic review

Avril Johnstone; Anne Martin; Rita Cordovil; Ingunn Fjørtoft; Susanna Iivonen; Boris Jidovtseff; Frederico Lopes; John J. Reilly; Hilary Thomson; Valerie Wells; Paul McCrorie

doi:10.3390/ijerph19105967

Nature-based early childhood education and children's social, emotional and cognitive development: a mixed-methods systematic review

Avril Johnstone, Anne Martin, Rita Cordovil, Ingunn Fjørtoft, Susanna Iivonen, Boris Jidovtseff, Frederico Lopes, John J. Reilly, Hilary Thomson, Valerie Wells, Paul McCrorie

Physical Activity And Health

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Abstract

This systematic review synthesised evidence on associations between nature-based early childhood education (ECE) and children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. A search of nine databases was concluded in August 2020. Studies were eligible if: (a) children (2-7 years) attended ECE, (b) ECE integrated nature, and (c) assessed child-level outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened full-text articles and assessed study quality. Synthesis included effect direction, thematic analysis, and results-based convergent synthesis. One thousand three hundred and seventy full-text articles were screened, and 36 (26 quantitative; 9 qualitative; 1 mixed-methods) studies were eligible. Quantitative outcomes were cognitive ( = 11), social and emotional ( = 13), nature connectedness ( = 9), and play ( = 10). Studies included controlled ( = 6)/uncontrolled ( = 6) before-after, and cross-sectional ( = 15) designs. Based on very low certainty of the evidence, there were positive associations between nature-based ECE and self-regulation, social skills, social and emotional development, nature relatedness, awareness of nature, and play interaction. Inconsistent associations were found for attention, attachment, initiative, environmentally responsible behaviour, and play disruption/disconnection. Qualitative studies ( = 10) noted that nature-based ECE afforded opportunities for play, socialising, and creativity. Nature-based ECE may improve some childhood development outcomes, however, high-quality experimental designs describing the dose and quality of nature are needed to explore the hypothesised pathways connecting nature-based ECE to childhood development (Systematic Review Registration CRD42019152582).

Original language	English
Article number	5967
Number of pages	30
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	19
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105967
Publication status	Published - 13 May 2022

Funding

Funding: A.J. was supported by the Scottish Government’s Early Learning and Child Care Direc‐ torate (grant number 307242‐01). A.M. was supported by the UK Medical Research Council and Scottish Chief Scientific Officer (grant numbers MC_UU_12017/14, MC_UU_00022/1, SPHSU14, SPHSU16) and the Scottish Government’s Early Learning and Child Care Directorate (grant number 307242‐01). R.C. was partly supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, under Grant UIDB/00447/2020 to CIPER—Centro Interdisciplinar para o Estudo da Performance Humana (unit 447). JJR was supported by the Scottish Funding Council. HT and V.W. were supported by the UK Medical Research Council UK and Scottish Chief Scientific Officer (grant number MC_UU_12017‐ 13, MC_UU_12017‐15, MC_UU_022/2; SPHSU13, SPHSU15, SPHSU17). P.M. was supported by the UK Medical Research Council and Scottish Chief Scientific Officer (grant numbers MC_UU_12017/10, MC_UU_00022/4; SPHSU10, SPHSU19) and the Scottish Government’s Early Learning and Child Care Directorate (grant number 307242‐01). A.J. was supported by the Scottish Government's Early Learning and Child Care Directorate (grant number 307242-01). A.M. was supported by the UK Medical Research Council and Scottish Chief Scientific Officer (grant numbers MC_UU_12017/14, MC_UU_00022/1, SPHSU14, SPHSU16) and the Scottish Government's Early Learning and Child Care Directorate (grant number 307242-01). R.C. was partly supported by the Fundagao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, under Grant UIDB/00447/2020 to CIPER — Centro Interdisciplinar para o Estudo da Performance Humana (unit 447). JJR was supported by the Scottish Funding Council. HT and V.W. were supported by the UK Medical Research Council UK and Scottish Chief Scientific Officer (grant number MC_UU_12017-13, MC_UU_12017-15, MC_UU_022/2; SPHSU13, SPHSU15, SPHSU17). P.M. was supported by the UK Medical Research Council and Scottish Chief Scientific Officer (grant numbers MC_UU_12017/10, MC_UU_00022/4; SPHSU10, SPHSU19) and the Scottish Government's Early Learning and Child Care Directorate (grant number 307242-01).

Keywords

children
nature
emotional
Child Development
preschool
Emotions
cognitive
early childhood education

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Johnstone-etal-ijerph-2022-Nature-based-early-childhood-education-and-childrens-social-emotional-and-cognitive-developmentFinal published version, 6.47 MBLicence: CC BY 4.0

Cite this

Johnstone, A., Martin, A., Cordovil, R., Fjørtoft, I., Iivonen, S., Jidovtseff, B., Lopes, F., Reilly, J. J., Thomson, H., Wells, V., & McCrorie, P. (2022). Nature-based early childhood education and children's social, emotional and cognitive development: a mixed-methods systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(10), Article 5967. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105967

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abstract = "This systematic review synthesised evidence on associations between nature-based early childhood education (ECE) and children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. A search of nine databases was concluded in August 2020. Studies were eligible if: (a) children (2-7 years) attended ECE, (b) ECE integrated nature, and (c) assessed child-level outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened full-text articles and assessed study quality. Synthesis included effect direction, thematic analysis, and results-based convergent synthesis. One thousand three hundred and seventy full-text articles were screened, and 36 (26 quantitative; 9 qualitative; 1 mixed-methods) studies were eligible. Quantitative outcomes were cognitive ( = 11), social and emotional ( = 13), nature connectedness ( = 9), and play ( = 10). Studies included controlled ( = 6)/uncontrolled ( = 6) before-after, and cross-sectional ( = 15) designs. Based on very low certainty of the evidence, there were positive associations between nature-based ECE and self-regulation, social skills, social and emotional development, nature relatedness, awareness of nature, and play interaction. Inconsistent associations were found for attention, attachment, initiative, environmentally responsible behaviour, and play disruption/disconnection. Qualitative studies ( = 10) noted that nature-based ECE afforded opportunities for play, socialising, and creativity. Nature-based ECE may improve some childhood development outcomes, however, high-quality experimental designs describing the dose and quality of nature are needed to explore the hypothesised pathways connecting nature-based ECE to childhood development (Systematic Review Registration CRD42019152582).",

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Johnstone, A, Martin, A, Cordovil, R, Fjørtoft, I, Iivonen, S, Jidovtseff, B, Lopes, F, Reilly, JJ, Thomson, H, Wells, V & McCrorie, P 2022, 'Nature-based early childhood education and children's social, emotional and cognitive development: a mixed-methods systematic review', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 19, no. 10, 5967. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105967

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T2 - a mixed-methods systematic review

AU - Johnstone, Avril

AU - Martin, Anne

AU - Cordovil, Rita

AU - Fjørtoft, Ingunn

AU - Iivonen, Susanna

AU - Jidovtseff, Boris

AU - Lopes, Frederico

AU - Reilly, John J.

AU - Thomson, Hilary

AU - Wells, Valerie

AU - McCrorie, Paul

PY - 2022/5/13

Y1 - 2022/5/13

N2 - This systematic review synthesised evidence on associations between nature-based early childhood education (ECE) and children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. A search of nine databases was concluded in August 2020. Studies were eligible if: (a) children (2-7 years) attended ECE, (b) ECE integrated nature, and (c) assessed child-level outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened full-text articles and assessed study quality. Synthesis included effect direction, thematic analysis, and results-based convergent synthesis. One thousand three hundred and seventy full-text articles were screened, and 36 (26 quantitative; 9 qualitative; 1 mixed-methods) studies were eligible. Quantitative outcomes were cognitive ( = 11), social and emotional ( = 13), nature connectedness ( = 9), and play ( = 10). Studies included controlled ( = 6)/uncontrolled ( = 6) before-after, and cross-sectional ( = 15) designs. Based on very low certainty of the evidence, there were positive associations between nature-based ECE and self-regulation, social skills, social and emotional development, nature relatedness, awareness of nature, and play interaction. Inconsistent associations were found for attention, attachment, initiative, environmentally responsible behaviour, and play disruption/disconnection. Qualitative studies ( = 10) noted that nature-based ECE afforded opportunities for play, socialising, and creativity. Nature-based ECE may improve some childhood development outcomes, however, high-quality experimental designs describing the dose and quality of nature are needed to explore the hypothesised pathways connecting nature-based ECE to childhood development (Systematic Review Registration CRD42019152582).

AB - This systematic review synthesised evidence on associations between nature-based early childhood education (ECE) and children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. A search of nine databases was concluded in August 2020. Studies were eligible if: (a) children (2-7 years) attended ECE, (b) ECE integrated nature, and (c) assessed child-level outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened full-text articles and assessed study quality. Synthesis included effect direction, thematic analysis, and results-based convergent synthesis. One thousand three hundred and seventy full-text articles were screened, and 36 (26 quantitative; 9 qualitative; 1 mixed-methods) studies were eligible. Quantitative outcomes were cognitive ( = 11), social and emotional ( = 13), nature connectedness ( = 9), and play ( = 10). Studies included controlled ( = 6)/uncontrolled ( = 6) before-after, and cross-sectional ( = 15) designs. Based on very low certainty of the evidence, there were positive associations between nature-based ECE and self-regulation, social skills, social and emotional development, nature relatedness, awareness of nature, and play interaction. Inconsistent associations were found for attention, attachment, initiative, environmentally responsible behaviour, and play disruption/disconnection. Qualitative studies ( = 10) noted that nature-based ECE afforded opportunities for play, socialising, and creativity. Nature-based ECE may improve some childhood development outcomes, however, high-quality experimental designs describing the dose and quality of nature are needed to explore the hypothesised pathways connecting nature-based ECE to childhood development (Systematic Review Registration CRD42019152582).

KW - children

KW - nature

KW - emotional

KW - Child Development

KW - preschool

KW - Emotions

KW - cognitive

KW - early childhood education

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19105967

DO - 10.3390/ijerph19105967

M3 - Article

C2 - 35627504

SN - 1660-4601

VL - 19

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

IS - 10

M1 - 5967

ER -

Nature-based early childhood education and children's social, emotional and cognitive development: a mixed-methods systematic review

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Cite this