Designing spaces for nature-based learning in small, urban primary schools

Abstract

Nature connectedness, particularly when nurtured through regular childhood experiences, is a strong predictor of pro-environmental behaviour. Yet, in urban settings, limited access to nature restricts children’s opportunities to develop such connections. This thesis positions Nature-Based Learning (NBL), delivered through primary schooling, as a practical means of fostering children’s relationship with nature through curriculum-based nature experiences on school grounds. However, small urban schools, where these opportunities are most needed, face distinct spatial and infrastructural challenges in designing spaces that are able to provide such experiences. The research thus focused on how small, urban primary schools can be supported in designing curriculum-linked, nature-based learning environments that foster children’s connection with nature. The first stage involved a systematised review of peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify design guidance for NBL school grounds. This review highlighted both the educational value of school grounds and the relative absence of research addressing the realities of urban and small-footprint schools. These findings informed the development of a draft design framework, structured around three guiding questions that considered aims, users, and contextual factors influencing NBL in urban settings. The second stage involved testing the framework in the Maltese context. To provide a baseline for Malta as an implementation context, a survey of educators explored current practices and perspectives on outdoor learning, while a mapping study of primary school grounds identified opportunities and constraints for implementation. Findings confirmed the acute challenges of urban schools, the demand for suitable outdoor learning environments, and educators’ belief in the value of nature-based experiences for students, confirming the relevance of Malta as a case setting for implementation. The third stage tested the framework in three pilot Maltese schools, producing demonstrative site-specific designs based on the framework. These were evaluated through consultation with teachers, students, administrators, and experts, whose feedback led to refinement and validation of the framework and confirmed its practical and theoretical relevance. This thesis makes an original contribution by reframing NBL through a systems-design lens; it offers a context-sensitive framework for small, urban primary schools that integrates ecological function with developmental and curricular aims and positions spatial design as a key mediator of children’s connection with nature. Highlighting primary schools as pivotal sites for reconnection, the framework provides a transferable and adaptable approach for urban contexts and lays the groundwork for future empirical and comparative studies. Collectively, these contributions have practical and theoretical relevance for research, policy, and practice, helping address children’s diminishing access to nature in cities.