Title: The Cultivation of a Relationship with the Natural World in Children and Adolescents
Description: The overall aim of this grounded theory multiple-case study was to better understand how K-12 independent schools (“schools”) in the United States cultivate a connection between children and adolescents (“students”) and the natural world (“environment”) by exploring the interplay between this connection and (a) the school community (“community connectedness”) and (b) personal sense/belief about spirituality. The aim was guided by key research questions, which include: (Q1) How do schools in the United States cultivate a connection between students and the natural environment? (Q2) Why do schools cultivate a connection between students and the natural environment? (Q3) What is the interplay between the natural environment and the school community? And (Q4) What is the interplay between the natural environment and personal sense/belief about spirituality? This study utilized a grounded theory multiple-case study approach to conduct a secondary analysis on data previously collected as part of a parent study.

Representative data from 4 of the 20 schools (Cedar Highlands, Mapleton, Tabiona, and Rocky Ridge) in the parent study were analyzed for the purposes of this grounded theory multiple-case study. Data were collected by conducting 1- to 2-day site visits to each school. Data collection methods included: (a) face-to-face individual interviews and group discussions with key school personnel (including teachers, faculty, staff, and parents); (b) general observations (including, but not limited to, classes, student groups/activities, faculty meetings, campus life, school culture, and extracurricular activities); (c) desk review of reports and documents (including organizational documents, such as strategic reports, and public documents, such as blogs and articles); and (d) audiovisual materials primarily in the form of photographs. For the current study, an inductive analytic strategy was utilized to identify emergent concepts from the previously coded data. Within the inductive framework of the current study, cross-case synthesis, with a case-based approach, was utilized to compare within-case patterns across the four individual cases and to address the research questions.

Emergent themes and results from cross-case synthesis were utilized to develop an initial working theory of environmental education that is spiritually formative as a component of overall healthy development.