Secondary School Students’ Participation in School Grounds Improvement - action research emerging findings from England

Oct 15, 2026

The paper addresses a literature gap in how school grounds improvement processes unfold in secondary schools. Using a three-year action research study across six English secondary schools, it examines the nature and dynamics of student participation. Drawing on in-depth case-study research from the first two programme years, it discusses approaches to grounds improvement, and the benefits and challenges experienced by participating students. Contextualized by longstanding neglect of secondary grounds, it aims to support further dialogue and research in this often overlooked area.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background and literature gap

Programme design and study approach

Learning through Landscapes and SARP

Contemporary context in the UK

Emerging findings focus (years 1-2)

Models of improvement

Student benefits and challenges

Implications for future practice and research

Secondary School Students’ Participation in School Grounds Improvement: Emerging Findings from a Study in England Mark Rickinson, Educational Research Consultant & Dawn Sanders, National Foundation for Educational Research, England Abstract In a recent review of school grounds research, Dyment (2004a) highlights a lack of studies on the process of school grounds improvement, particularly in the secondary school context. This paper seeks to respond to this gap in the literature by reporting emerging findings from a three-year action research study of six English secondary schools involved in improving their grounds. It focuses particularly on the nature and dynamics of student participation in the process of school grounds improvement. Drawing on indepth case-study research during the first two years of the programme, we discuss how the schools have been approaching the task of improving their grounds, and what the benefits and challenges have been for the participating students. Against a backdrop of long-standing neglect of secondary school grounds, we hope that this paper will lead to further dialogue in this critical and sometimes forgotten area of practice and research. Résumé Dans une révision récente d’une recherche sur les cours d’école, Dyment (2004b) met en évidence le manque d’études sur le procédé de l’amélioration des cours d’école, particulièrement dans le contexte des écoles secondaires. Cet article cherche à combler ce fossé dans la documentation en rapportant de nouvelles constatations tirées d’une étude de recherche active d’une durée de 3 ans, dans 6 écoles secondaires anglaises engagées dans l’amélioration de leur cours d’école. Il met l’accent particulièrement sur la nature et la dynamique de la participation étudiante dans le processus de mise en valeur des cours d’école. Se basant sur une recherche approfondie d’un cas pendant les 2 premières années du programme, nous discutons de comment les écoles avaient abordé la tâche d’améliorer leur cour et quels en avaient été les bénéfices et les défis pour les élèves participants. Avec en toile de fond, une négligence de longue date des cours d’écoles secondaires, nous espérons que cet article conduira à dialoguer de nouveau dans cette aire de pratique et de recherche critique et parfois oubliée. 256 Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 10, Spring 2005 In a recent review of school grounds research, Dyment (2004a; 2004b) highlights a shortage of work on the process of school grounds improvement. Her argument is that: While several researchers and practitioners have pointed to the importance of process, much of the literature reviewed here points to benefits that emerge after the school ground has been transformed. Yet what are the benefits for students, teachers, parents, and administrators who are involved in the process of greening a school ground? (2004a, p. 25, original emphasis) In addition, there has also been a dearth of research on grounds improvement in the secondary school context. With some important exceptions (for example, Skamp & Bergman, 2001; Titman, 1999), it would seem that much of what is known about the process of school grounds improvement comes from research in primary school and early years settings. This paper seeks to respond to these gaps in the literature by reporting emerging findings from a three-year action research study of six English secondary schools involved in improving their grounds. The six schools are participants in a programme called the Secondary Action Research Programme (SARP), which is coordinated by Learning through Landscapes, the UK’s national school grounds charity (Rickinson, 2004) . The purpose of the programme is to develop innovative approaches and research-based evidence on improving secondary school grounds in ways that engage and empower young people. Given the lack of knowledge and understanding about school grounds development in the secondary school context, the programme was

FAQs

What gap in the existing research does the paper address?

It highlights a shortage of studies on the process of school grounds improvement, especially in the secondary school context.

How is student participation examined in the study?

The paper uses in-depth case-study interviews to explore the process from the perspective of student participants, focusing on nature and dynamics of participation.

What programme supported the six participating English secondary schools?

The schools were participants in the Secondary Action Research Programme (SARP), coordinated by Learning through Landscapes with researchers from the National Foundation for Educational Research.

Oct 15, 2026

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