Understanding Austrian middle school students’ connectedness with nature

Fostering pro-environmental behavior to achieve a sustainable society is one
goal of Education for Sustainable Development worldwide. Connectedness with
nature positively correlates with pro-environmental behavior and therefore needs
to be studied in detail. In this mixed-method study, applying the “Inclusion of
Nature in Self” (INS)-scale, we investigated 1) how closely preadolescents from
urban middle schools (n=651, 6th grade) are connected with nature, 2) whether
the type of school (general or academic track) or 3) the time spent outdoors
influences students’ connectedness with nature. We also explored 4) students’
reasons for their specific INS level and 5) how reasons and levels interconnect.
Data show that students’ reported nature connectedness differs significantly with
school type and that the reasons for feeling connected to nature are diverse.
Positive attitudes and emotions toward nature plus time spent outdoors seem
to predict high connectedness with nature, indicating the importance of direct
nature experiences.