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 and Paul McCrorie
Additional contact information
Avril Johnstone: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Berkeley Square, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow G3 7HR, UK
Anne Martin: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Berkeley Square, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow G3 7HR, UK
Rita Cordovil: CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, Cruz Quebrada, 1499-002 Lisboa, Portugal
Ingunn Fjørtoft: Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, 3672 Notodden, Norway
Susanna Iivonen: School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
Boris Jidovtseff: Research Unit for a Life-Course Perspective on Health and Education, Department of Sport and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Liege, 2 Allee des Sports, 4000 Liege, Belgium
Frederico Lopes: Laboratory of Motor Behavior, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Estrada da Costa, Cruz Quebrada, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
John J. Reilly: School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, 50 George Street, Glasgow G1 1QE, UK
Hilary Thomson: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Berkeley Square, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow G3 7HR, UK
Valerie Wells: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Berkeley Square, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow G3 7HR, UK
Paul McCrorie: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Berkeley Square, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow G3 7HR, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 10, 1-30

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 ( n = 11), social and emotional ( n = 13), nature connectedness ( n = 9), and play ( n = 10). Studies included controlled ( n = 6)/uncontrolled ( n = 6) before-after, and cross-sectional ( n = 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 ( n = 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).

Keywords: early childhood education; children; preschool; social; emotional; cognitive; nature (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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