The Importance of Outdoor Space: Children's Perceptions of the School Environment and Its Influence on Their Well-Being
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| Title: | The Importance of Outdoor Space: Children's Perceptions of the School Environment and Its Influence on Their Well-Being |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Emma Fogarty (ORCID |
| Source: | Health Education Journal. 2026 85(3):275-285. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education Grade 6 Intermediate Grades Middle Schools |
| Descriptors: | Well Being, Educational Environment, Student Attitudes, Preadolescents, Rural Schools, Correlation, Foreign Countries, Grade 6, Play, Friendship, Playgrounds, Safety, Discipline, Classroom Environment, Gender Bias |
| Geographic Terms: | Ireland |
| DOI: | 10.1177/00178969251406779 |
| ISSN: | 0017-8969 1748-8176 |
| Abstract: | Background: The concept of children's well-being is central to international child health agendas. Acquiring relevant cognitive and social-emotional skills during the formative years is key to shaping future mental health and preparing societies to be prosperous, sustainable and inclusive. Schools are ideally placed to foster a culture of well-being in addition to education, particularly as children refine their emotional skills during this stage of development. To gain insight into well-being at school, acknowledgement of children's voices and perspective is imperative. Objective: This study sought to establish children's perceptions of the school environment and how physical space influenced their sense of well-being. Design: Qualitative descriptive approach. Setting: Rural school in Ireland. Method: Four focus-group discussions were conducted with 21 children (aged 10-12 years). Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings. Results: Children identified a correlation between their perceived well-being and the physical school environment. Outdoor spaces were associated with positive well-being, while indoor spaces were linked to negative well-being. Conclusion: The study findings carry policy and practice implications for teachers and administrators. To enhance well-being in the physical school space, attention must be given to outdoor play areas and surfaces, children's physical comfort and well-structured break times. In addition, well-being needs to be recognised as something that children experience and express in various ways; thus, paying close attention to the child's voice is vital when researching matters that directly affect them. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1501807 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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