Impact of educational gardens and workshop activities on 8th-Grade student’s perception and knowledge of plant biology

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/educsci12090619/s1, Supplementary Data S1. Dichotomous key for the Atlantic garden; Supplementary Data S2. Dichotomous key for the Lowland Mediterranean garden; Supplementary Data S3. Dichotomous key for the Mountain Mediterranean garden; Supplementary Data S4. Full pre-validated questionnaire for quantitative assessment of student knowledge gain; Supplementary Data S5. Performance in each question of the experimental and control groups, in both the pre- and post-test questionnaires; Supplementary Data S6. Scores for the pre-test and post-test in both control and experimental groups; Supplementary Figure S1. Construction of three educational gardens within the grounds of School EB 2/3 D. Maria II.

Educational gardens can be a significant resource in the promotion of environmental education, engaging both the school population and the general public. The main goal of the present study was to implement and assess a hands-on interventional program to promote knowledge and awareness of plant-related topics at a basic school level. We report on a hands-on educational project implemented with 8th-grade Portuguese students (mostly 13–14 years of age), associated with the establishment, on school grounds, of three educational gardens representing distinct Portuguese ecosystems. This was a collaborative project and encompassed several activities and subjects, including garden creation, plant propagation and plant care, plant identification, the study of form–function relationships, and lectures by plant researchers. A survey instrument with pre- and post-test assessments demonstrated the effectiveness of the program in raising student knowledge and awareness on topics centered around the native flora. Specifically, we noted that scores increased in all questions addressing different plant biology-related topics in the post-test assessment. This study supports the benefits of incorporating field/laboratory work and educational gardens in educational programs geared toward plant-oriented environmental education.

The present work was supported by the Pais com a Ciência Program, of the Agency Ciência Viva—Agência Nacional para a Cultura Científica e Tecnológica, in collaboration with CONFAP (Confederação Nacional das Associações de Pais). This work was also supported by Fundação Ilídio Pinho, Porto, Portugal. H.A. was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT/MCTES) ref. CEECIND/00399/2017/ CP1423/CT0004], and NORTE 2020 through FEDER, ref. [NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000007]. I.S-S. was supported by the program contract FCTUMINHO/Norma transitória from the Legal Regime of Scientific Employment (RJEC) and by the strategic program UID/BIA/04050/2020).