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

Johnstone, Avril and Martin, Anne and Cordovil, Rita and Fjørtoft, Ingunn and Iivonen, Susanna and Jidovtseff, Boris and Lopes, Frederico and Reilly, John J. and Thomson, Hilary and Wells, Valerie and McCrorie, Paul (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). 5967. ISSN 1660-4601 (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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