Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research

Kamal Prasad Acharya

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11

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Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research

Kamal Prasad Acharya

Published in International Journal of Elementary Education (Volume 7, Issue 3)

Received: 18 October 2018 Accepted: 21 November 2018 Published: 20 December 2018

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Abstract

The present paper is an attempt to assess the skills for school gardening for inquiry-based science learning of fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade basic level students of public schools. To achieve this aim, a set of questionnaires was developed to be administered to basic level students. A sample of 404 (N=388) were selected from one action and four reference schools to take part in the present study located in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts of the Terai region of Nepal. Students from all the selected schools participated in school gardening activities as part of their science curriculum aiming at motivating inquiry-based science teaching and learning. A quantitative analysis involving the use of frequency, Chi-square test at 0.05 level of significance and phi was conducted to see the association between the variables: religion, caste, and language and gardening skills. Weighted percentages were calculated to examine the gardening skills for experiencing inquiry-based science learning. The results showed that school gardening skills were performed better (94.4%) by students belonging to Brahmin/Chhetri Hindu background than the others. The findings also showed a weak association between religious and caste/ethnicity backgrounds of the students and gardening skills. There was no statistically significant difference (α=0.05) between gardening skills of students and the religion they follow, either. Gardening enthusiasm with basic skills varies among students with different basic demographic background of students.

Published in	International Journal of Elementary Education (Volume 7, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11
Page(s)	40-45
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Gardening Skills, Inquiry-Based Science Learning, Engagement

References

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[3]	Morgan SC, Hamilton SL, Bentley ML, Myrie S. Environmental education in botanic gardens: Exploring brooklyn botanic garden's project green reach. The Journal of Environmental Education. 2009 Jul 1; 40(4): 35-52.
[4]	Acharya KP. Science teachers' information processing behaviours in Nepal: A reflective comparative study. Research in Pedagogy. 2007 Aug https://doi.org/10.17810/2015.43
[5]	Ozer EJ. The effects of school gardens on students and schools: Conceptualization and considerations for maximizing healthy development. Health Education & Behavior. 2007 Dec; 34(6): 846-63.
[6]	Acharya KP. Fostering critical thinking practices in primary science classrooms in Nepal. Research in Pedagogy. 2006 Oct 6, 2, pp. 1-7. doi: 10.17810/2015.30.
[7]	Harlen W. The teaching of science in primary schools. David Fulton Publishers; 2018 Mar 28.
[8]	Thorp L, Townsend C. Agricultural education in an elementary school: An ethnographic study of a school garden. In Proceedings of the 28th Annual National Agricultural Education Research Conference in New Orleans, LA 2001 Dec 12 (pp. 347-360).
[9]	Krasny ME, Tidball KG. Community gardens as contexts for science, stewardship, and civic action learning. Cities and the Environment (CATE). 2009; 2(1): 8.
[10]	Plevyak LH. What do preservice teachers learn in an inquiry-based science methods course?. Journal of Elementary Science Education. 2007 Mar 1; 19(1): 1.
[11]	Rennie LJ. Learning science outside of school. In Handbook of research on science education, Volume II 2014 Jul 11 (pp. 134-158). Routledge.
[12]	Herron SS, Magomo D, Gossard PR. The Wheel Garden: Project Based Learning for Cross Curriculum Education. International Journal of Social Sciences. 2008; 3(1): 44.
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[17]	Skelly SM, Zajicek JM. The effect of an interdisciplinary garden program on the environmental attitudes of elementary school students. Hort Technology. 1998 Oct 1; 8(4): 579-83.
[18]	Kelley SS, Williams DR. Teacher professional learning communities for sustainability: Supporting STEM in learning gardens in low-income schools. Journal of Sustainability Education. 2013.

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Kamal Prasad Acharya. (2018). Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research. International Journal of Elementary Education, 7(3), 40-45. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11

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Kamal Prasad Acharya. Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research. Int. J. Elem. Educ. 2018, 7(3), 40-45. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11

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AMA Style

Kamal Prasad Acharya. Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research. Int J Elem Educ. 2018;7(3):40-45. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11,
  author = {Kamal Prasad Acharya},
  title = {Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research},
  journal = {International Journal of Elementary Education},
  volume = {7},
  number = {3},
  pages = {40-45},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeedu.20180703.11},
  abstract = {The present paper is an attempt to assess the skills for school gardening for inquiry-based science learning of fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade basic level students of public schools. To achieve this aim, a set of questionnaires was developed to be administered to basic level students. A sample of 404 (N=388) were selected from one action and four reference schools to take part in the present study located in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts of the Terai region of Nepal. Students from all the selected schools participated in school gardening activities as part of their science curriculum aiming at motivating inquiry-based science teaching and learning. A quantitative analysis involving the use of frequency, Chi-square test at 0.05 level of significance and phi was conducted to see the association between the variables: religion, caste, and language and gardening skills. Weighted percentages were calculated to examine the gardening skills for experiencing inquiry-based science learning. The results showed that school gardening skills were performed better (94.4%) by students belonging to Brahmin/Chhetri Hindu background than the others. The findings also showed a weak association between religious and caste/ethnicity backgrounds of the students and gardening skills. There was no statistically significant difference (α=0.05) between gardening skills of students and the religion they follow, either. Gardening enthusiasm with basic skills varies among students with different basic demographic background of students.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research
AU  - Kamal Prasad Acharya
Y1  - 2018/12/20
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11
T2  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JF  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JO  - International Journal of Elementary Education
SP  - 40
EP  - 45
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7640
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11
AB  - The present paper is an attempt to assess the skills for school gardening for inquiry-based science learning of fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade basic level students of public schools. To achieve this aim, a set of questionnaires was developed to be administered to basic level students. A sample of 404 (N=388) were selected from one action and four reference schools to take part in the present study located in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts of the Terai region of Nepal. Students from all the selected schools participated in school gardening activities as part of their science curriculum aiming at motivating inquiry-based science teaching and learning. A quantitative analysis involving the use of frequency, Chi-square test at 0.05 level of significance and phi was conducted to see the association between the variables: religion, caste, and language and gardening skills. Weighted percentages were calculated to examine the gardening skills for experiencing inquiry-based science learning. The results showed that school gardening skills were performed better (94.4%) by students belonging to Brahmin/Chhetri Hindu background than the others. The findings also showed a weak association between religious and caste/ethnicity backgrounds of the students and gardening skills. There was no statistically significant difference (α=0.05) between gardening skills of students and the religion they follow, either. Gardening enthusiasm with basic skills varies among students with different basic demographic background of students.
VL  - 7
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Kamal Prasad Acharya

Department of Science and Environment Education, Central Department of Education, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Kamal Prasad Acharya. (2018). Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research. International Journal of Elementary Education, 7(3), 40-45. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11

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ACS Style

Kamal Prasad Acharya. Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research. Int. J. Elem. Educ. 2018, 7(3), 40-45. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11

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AMA Style

Kamal Prasad Acharya. Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research. Int J Elem Educ. 2018;7(3):40-45. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11,
  author = {Kamal Prasad Acharya},
  title = {Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research},
  journal = {International Journal of Elementary Education},
  volume = {7},
  number = {3},
  pages = {40-45},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeedu.20180703.11},
  abstract = {The present paper is an attempt to assess the skills for school gardening for inquiry-based science learning of fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade basic level students of public schools. To achieve this aim, a set of questionnaires was developed to be administered to basic level students. A sample of 404 (N=388) were selected from one action and four reference schools to take part in the present study located in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts of the Terai region of Nepal. Students from all the selected schools participated in school gardening activities as part of their science curriculum aiming at motivating inquiry-based science teaching and learning. A quantitative analysis involving the use of frequency, Chi-square test at 0.05 level of significance and phi was conducted to see the association between the variables: religion, caste, and language and gardening skills. Weighted percentages were calculated to examine the gardening skills for experiencing inquiry-based science learning. The results showed that school gardening skills were performed better (94.4%) by students belonging to Brahmin/Chhetri Hindu background than the others. The findings also showed a weak association between religious and caste/ethnicity backgrounds of the students and gardening skills. There was no statistically significant difference (α=0.05) between gardening skills of students and the religion they follow, either. Gardening enthusiasm with basic skills varies among students with different basic demographic background of students.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through School Gardening Activities: Wonderful Experience Through Participatory Action Research
AU  - Kamal Prasad Acharya
Y1  - 2018/12/20
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11
T2  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JF  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JO  - International Journal of Elementary Education
SP  - 40
EP  - 45
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7640
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20180703.11
AB  - The present paper is an attempt to assess the skills for school gardening for inquiry-based science learning of fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade basic level students of public schools. To achieve this aim, a set of questionnaires was developed to be administered to basic level students. A sample of 404 (N=388) were selected from one action and four reference schools to take part in the present study located in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts of the Terai region of Nepal. Students from all the selected schools participated in school gardening activities as part of their science curriculum aiming at motivating inquiry-based science teaching and learning. A quantitative analysis involving the use of frequency, Chi-square test at 0.05 level of significance and phi was conducted to see the association between the variables: religion, caste, and language and gardening skills. Weighted percentages were calculated to examine the gardening skills for experiencing inquiry-based science learning. The results showed that school gardening skills were performed better (94.4%) by students belonging to Brahmin/Chhetri Hindu background than the others. The findings also showed a weak association between religious and caste/ethnicity backgrounds of the students and gardening skills. There was no statistically significant difference (α=0.05) between gardening skills of students and the religion they follow, either. Gardening enthusiasm with basic skills varies among students with different basic demographic background of students.
VL  - 7
IS  - 3
ER  -

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