Experimental Garden: urban education methodology for elementary school

The Experimental Garden methodology aims to contribute to a healthy lifestyle for children. Children growing up in poverty are more likely to be overweight. Moreover, more than one in five children aged eight and above from major cities, such as Ghent, are overweight (Vancoppenolle, D., Colaerts, K., Cloots, H., & Roelants, M., 2020). Poor dietary habits and insufficient physical activity are key factors contributing to overweight (Drieskens, S., Charafeddine, R., & Gisle, L., 2019). It is therefore crucial to focus on healthy and sustainable nutrition, particularly for socially vulnerable children.

In the literature, school gardening is viewed as a highly promising intervention. It is positively associated with several aspects of eating behaviour: vegetable and fruit intake, knowledge, willingness to taste, and attitudes towards consuming fruit and vegetables (Ohly, H., et al., 2016). Gardening is also linked to increased physical activity, better academic performance, and improved psychosocial factors. It offers schools an opportunity to create a healthy environment for all children, particularly for those who struggle in a traditional classroom setting. However, the primary focus of such projects is often “being in nature,” rather than explicitly teaching healthy eating habits or promoting health (Huys, N. et al., 2017; Nury, E., 2017). The better school gardening initiatives are integrated within school operations – such as health policy and the curriculum – the greater the chance of long-term, sustainable implementation (Ohly, H., et al., 2016; Burt KG, Koch P, Contento I., 2017). Furthermore, although various gardening initiatives have already been launched in Flanders, many of them tend to fade out over time (Huys, N. et al., 2017). One of the key pillars of this research project is therefore the sustainable embedding of the educational methodology within school practice through close collaboration with the educational field.

The Experimental Garden methodology aims to enhance food literacy among third‑grade primary school children in Ghent. The government encourages the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in education (De Wolf, L. et al., 2018). A key step in engaging tomorrow’s citizens in a healthy and sustainable future is to foster responsibility from a young age, particularly among urban children from vulnerable neighbourhoods. Strengthening food literacy requires an experiential approach, which the Experimental Garden methodology seeks to promote through outdoor learning. Allowing city children to learn, explore, and be physically active in nature, outside the classroom walls, forms another important pillar of this methodology.

During the design phase in year 1, materials were developed and continuously evaluated and adjusted in close collaboration with teachers, students, and experts. During the field study with a pre-post control design in year 2, the impact of the Experiment Garden methodology on pupils’ food literacy was investigated. In addition, we examined which contextual factors played a role in the sustainable implementation of the Experiment Garden methodology in urban schools.

Dissemination started from the outset. Within Odisee, the results were integrated into the course components on research skills, health promotion, statistics, internships and bachelor theses, and personal and professional development. In addition, we organised a stakeholder event in which every involved party (child, parent, teacher, school management, partner, steering group member, …) participated. We wrote for professional journals in the fields of health promotion, dietetics, and education. We took part in the Day of Science ('21, ’22 and ’23) and inclusive STEM-festival Questival ('24 and '25). After completion, the Experimental Garden methodology and its materials were distributed to urban primary schools.