University gardens for sustainable citizenship: assessing the impacts of garden-based learning on environmental and food education at Spanish higher education
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
ISSN: 1467-6370
Article publication date: 18 January 2021
Issue publication date: 22 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Gardens are being used at all educational stages, because they provide with a real-world context for active and experiential learning. In Spain, there exists a movement in favor of their incorporation to higher education for a variety of purposes but prevalently as an innovative resource to teach sciences to pre-service teachers. The purpose of this study is assessing the impacts of such pedagogical practice on university students’ learning and behavioral changes in the areas of environmental and food citizenship, two key dimensions of contemporary citizenship that are essential to achieve sustainable societies.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was collected by means of an electronic, open-ended question survey completed by 170 students from 6 different universities where gardens are used. Answers were qualitatively analyzed using MAXQDA software to develop a system of content categories and subcategories in relation to reported learning and behavioral changes.
Findings
Widespread among universities was learning on organic agriculture practices, greater appreciation of agricultural labor, greater willingness to cultivate, higher awareness of environmental impacts of agriculture, improved behaviors regarding waste separation and enhanced fruit and vegetable consumption.
Originality/value
This work delves into how university gardens act as a vehicle through which students integrate knowledge and reflect on their environmental, food and consumption behaviors. Thus, it supports on evidences, the use of gardens at higher education to nurture two dimensions of contemporary citizenship essential to achieve sustainability.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work has been supported by the PID “Huertos EcoDidácticos” of the University of Valladolid (Spain), in the sense that such educational innovation project (Organic Learning Gardens), allowed gathering together the colleagues who collaborated in data collection: Daniel Zuazagoitia (UPV-Vitoria, Spain), Lourdes Aragón (UCA, Spain), Marta Ceballos (CEU Cardenal Spínola CES-US, Spain), Milagros Navarro (UBU, Spain) and Belén Martínez-Madrid (UCM, Spain). The authors are grateful to all of them. Financial support to conduct an English language style review was provided by an educational innovation award that “Huertos EcoDidácticos” won in 2017, granted by the Social Council of the University of Valladolid.
Citation
Eugenio-Gozalbo, M., Ramos-Truchero, G. and Suárez-López, R. (2021), "University gardens for sustainable citizenship: assessing the impacts of garden-based learning on environmental and food education at Spanish higher education", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 516-534. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-06-2020-0208
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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