Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to investigate through adult perceptions what
factors have enabled and limited student participation in schoolyard gardening, and how
to support student involvement in schoolyard gardening. It is a collective case study of
three schools in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB, Ontario, Canada) that are
currently running a schoolyard gardening project. Sixteen interviews were conducted
during May and June, 2005, and photos of the three schoolyard gardens were taken. The
results show that the common factors that have enabled student participation in
schoolyard gardening at the three schools are teacher's initiative and commitment,
principal's leadership and support, parental involvement and donations, and the TDSB's
EcoSchools program and workshops. The common limiting factors are time, money, and
the unions' "work-to-rule" issue. The ways to support student involvement include
teachers integrating the gardening into the curriculum; parents making donations to the
school and creating a family gardening culture; principals supporting in money or budget
and taking the lead; the TDSB providing fiinding, awards, incentives, and more
maintenance; and the Ontario Ministry of Education supplying funding, curriculum link,
and teacher training.
