Reconceptualising gardening to promote inclusive education for sustainable development

Abstract

The ways in which gardening has been interpreted by schools in western societies have changed over the past 150 years. The intended purpose of school gardening with children (aged 5–14) and the pedagogies which teachers have adopted has varied depending on social, cultural and political expectations. This paper argues that a reconceptualised version of school gardening could promote inclusive education in the UK so that it supports new pedagogical approaches to learning while seeking to fulfil international commitments that protect the environment and disseminate ecological understanding. The potential for children to develop ecological and place-based knowledge, competence to take action, skills relevant to environmental engagement and a value-system that may shape their future priorities are examined in this paper. A curriculum framework is suggested that promotes school gardening along with an understanding of the environment locally, nationally and globally. An exemplar is provided based on growing a bean crop, which puts school gardens in a pivotal position to aid the development of skills among children. The exemplar can be modified for any age group and to take account of local resources. Potential research to advance gardening and inclusive environmental and sustainable development education is suggested.

Keywords:

• community cohesion
• education for sustainable development
• inclusive education
• learning outside the classroom
• place-based education
• school gardening