There is a growing interest in experiences with natural environments and the impact that they have on students’ academic performance and well-being, considering that millions of them are asked to learn in environments that are as supporting as they otherwise could. Specifically, direct access to nature is possible when students experience nature, for example, during school activities in parks or woods, or during green breaks. Indirect access to nature occurs when students can see a green landscape from their classroom windows, or watch relaxing pictures or videos of natural scenarios. By comparing indoor classroom and outdoor green environments, we examine the cognitive and affective effects of direct and indirect short-term exposure to nature during breaks in a school day or during lessons that take place in the school garden. We are also interested in the role that individual differences (e.g., attention and inhibition skills; emotional and conduct problems) may play in moderating the effects of the school physical environment.
Publications
Mason, L., Sella, E., Mazzella di Bosco, M., & Pazzaglia, F. (2024). Effects of green and urban environment exposure during classroom breaks in a video-based setting. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education.
Sella, E., Bolognesi, M., Bergamini, E., Mason, L., & Pazzaglia, F. (2023). Psychological benefits of attending forest school for preschool children: a systematic review. Educational Psychology Review, 35. Article 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09750-4
Mason, L., Manzione, L., Ronconi, A., & Pazzaglia, F. (2022). Lessons in a green school environment and in the classroom: effects on students’ cognitive functioning and affect. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24). Article 16823. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416823
Mason, L., Zagni, B., Bacchin, F., Frison, C., & Scrimin, S. (2022). Children’s attentional processes in outdoor and indoor environments: the role of physiological self-regulation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20). Article 13141. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/20/13141
Mason, L., Ronconi, A., Scrimin, S., & Pazzaglia, F. (2022). Short-term exposure to nature and benefits for students’ cognitive performance: A review. Educational Psychology Review, 34, 609-647. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09631-8