Mobilising volunteers to deliver a school-based arts-in-nature practice to support children’s mental health and wellbeing: a modified e-Delphi Study with primary school staff

Abstract

Arts-in-nature practice has been shown to have positive impacts on children’s mental health and wellbeing; however, introducing new innovations in schools can be challenging and requires involvement of staff in the process. The ‘Branching Out’ project explored how arts-in-nature practice can be scaled up to achieve greater reach in primary schools by mobilising community volunteers. We implemented an exploratory, multi-level mixed methods approach, including a modified e-Delphi study which was used to achieve consensus around a new delivery model of arts-in-nature practice in primary schools. Whilst a pilot study tested the implementation of the proposed model in one region, the e-Delphi study explored how the proposed Branching Out model, including the use of volunteers and various options for delivery, would be perceived more widely by primary school staff across different contexts. The survey incorporated implementation measures designed to determine the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the proposed model. Completion of two rounds of the e-Delphi study captured the views of 42 primary school staff members in total. The findings confirmed the acceptability of the arts-in-nature practice and the use of volunteers, suggested appropriate staff champions and groups of children who would benefit, and determined the preferred options for delivery in terms of feasibility. Overall, consensus was reached regarding the proposed model of arts-in-nature practice in primary schools with high levels of agreement regarding its acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. The e-Delphi study provided valuable perspectives of primary school staff that led to the refinement of the Branching Out model for mobilising volunteers to deliver arts-in-nature practice to promote children’s mental health. Delphi studies have the potential to enable expert input into policy and practice and provide an opportunity for teachers to have a voice in the delivery and development of school-based interventions.

Keywords:

• Delphi study
• volunteers
• primary school
• mental wellbeing

Reviewing Editor:

• Sammy King Fai Hui, Curriculum & Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Subjects:

• Primary/Elementary Education
• Research Methods in Education
• Classroom Practice

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by UK Research and Innovation under Grant AH/W007819/1.

Notes on contributors

Hilary Bungay

Dr Hilary Bungay is Professor of Arts Health and Wellbeing in the Faculty of Health Education Medicine and Social Care at Anglia Ruskin University. Her main research focus is the developing area of Arts, Health, and Wellbeing and recent projects include: exploring the impact of participatory arts on social relationships for older people in residential care settings, collaborative working between artist and care home staff, the impact of a museum-based arts activities on loneliness and older people, and most recently a project looking at how ‘arts in nature’ practice with children can be scaled up and implemented more widely using community volunteers in schools.

Nicola Walshe

Dr Nicola Walshe is Professor of Education, Pro-Director for Education at IOE, UCL’s Institute for Education and Society, and Executive Director of the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education. Her research is predominantly in the field of high-quality teacher education practices in climate change and environmental and sustainability education; her recent AHRC-funded projects, Eco-Capabilities and Branching Out, explore the process by which arts-in-nature practice supports children’s connection with the environment and, thereby, their wellbeing. Nicola is co-convenor of the Environmental and Sustainability Education Research network of European Educational Research Association and a UCL Climate Hub Community Expert.

Anna Dadswell

Dr Anna Dadswell is a Research Fellow in Social Work and Social Policyin the Faculty of Health Education Medicine and Social Care at Anglia Ruskin University. Her research interests include the impact of arts, culture, and social participation on mental health and wellbeing, particularly for marginalised communities and using creative and inclusive methodologies. She has worked closely with Professor Hilary Bungay on research into participatory arts in residential care settings and with both Professor Nicola Walshe and Professor Hilary Bungay on the research into scaling up ‘arts in nature’ practice with children in schools through mobilising community volunteers.