Abstract:

The processes of interdisciplinary interaction between pedagogy and architecture increasingly sensitive to the issues of "learning environments" investigate the school as an ecosystem which is perceived as an open cultural project. School communities are so seen as a dynamic educating landscape in which to cultivate research, exploration and elaboration of cultural heritage. This contribution focuses on the school development processes conveyed by the dialogue between pedagogy, architecture and nature.

The interdisciplinary laboratory EDENLAB (EDucational ENviroments with Nature - edenlab.unibz.it), settled at the Faculty of Education of the University of Bolzano, has been promoting action-research paths since 2019 on the topics of pedagogical and architectural qualification of educational spaces. Since 2022 it has also been interested in developing new interdisciplinary relationships with other disciplines to analyze the possibility to extend the concept of learning landscape to nature. Due to this concept, plants are seen as mediators in the exploration and appropriation of indoor learning spaces and extraordinary tools for changing traditional didactics and promoting project oriented learning and nature based learning.

In the development plan of the EDEN laboratory there is the aim of developing models, methods and devices to study and synthesize the outcomes generated by the different action-research paths implemented with schools.

The analysis is not limited to the innovation realized but implies verification of the transformation of the context and the processes of change in the ways of doing and thinking of the school actors (teachers, children, parents). At a second level, the role of researchers, who are directly interested in studying the effectiveness of their own work as facilitators-trainers, is investigated, and it is verified how it is possible to produce knowledge corroborated by empirical data and potentially capitalizable.

The contribution intends to present the case study of a research-action project carried out with the school community "Aldo Moro" in Terni (Italy) composed from 4 kindergartens and 2 primary schools from September 2023 to June 2024.

The project involved an input activity to justify the proposal to see in plants an opportunity to reconnect with nature, a chance to improve the quality of spaces and a possibility to orient teaching towards a spirit of research and active exploration.

Through rhythmic support and monitoring of the activities promoted by the teachers we collected we have collected data on the connection between the school's educational objectives and active interaction with plants.

In the presentation we intend to present the data analysis of the process and the effects on teaching activities and learning spaces.

Keywords:

Pedagogy, architecture, plants as mediators, research-action, school development.