Fostering pro-environmental behavior to achieve a sustainable society is onegoal of Education for Sustainable Development worldwide. Connectedness withnature positively correlates with pro-environmental behavior and therefore needsto be studied in detail. In this mixed-method study, applying the “Inclusion ofNature in Self” (INS)-scale, we investigated 1) how closely preadolescents fromurban middle schools (n=651, 6th grade) are connected with nature, 2) whetherthe type of school (general or academic track) or 3) the time spent outdoorsinfluences 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 withschool type and that the reasons for feeling connected to nature are diverse.Positive attitudes and emotions toward nature plus time spent outdoors seemto predict high connectedness with nature, indicating the importance of direct nature experiences.

Petra Bezeljak, Gregor Torkar & Andrea Möller (2023) Understanding Austrian middle school students’ connectedness with nature, The Journal of Environmental Education, DOI: 10.1080/00958964.2023.2188577

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