Going green: a contextual exploration of the use of green exercise in UK primary schools as a pathway to resilience

The overarching aim of this thesis was to develop a conceptual model which explicates the potential mechanism/s through which Green Exercise (GE), which is defined as “Physical exercise (PA) in green spaces that may bring both physical and mental health benefits” (Pretty et al., 2003, p.7), might improve resilience in children. This could have the potential to inform future practice for the development of GE resilience interventions for UK primary school children. 5 UK primary schools were selected for unstructured observations, focus groups and semi-interviews, with an overall ethnographic methodology. These schools already provided a nature provision via forest schools, and additional green exercise activities. For scope, 6 other education settings were also recruited where teachers shared their experiences of delivering GE provisions. Field observations, focus groups/interviews were undertaken (n = 59) with 20 students, 8 parents, and 24 teaching staff. (1) Being Green, which refers to the experience of taking part in green exercise in UK primary schools (2) Going Green, which refers to the experiences of implementing green exercise provisions in UK primary schools and (3) Childhood, which refers to the wider contextual influences which may shape the experiences of what it means to be a child in today’s society The ‘Green Resilience in Primary Schools’ model (GRIPs) was developed to conceptualise the mechanisms through which GE can enhance resilience in the education system, considering the wider contextual issues associated with being a child. From this, a theory of change conceptualised as a logic model was developed which outlines the guiding principles which could be used to optimise UK primary school implementation of a GE intervention that has the potential to enhance resilience in children - thus helping to address the issues of mental health and obesity which typify much of childhood in the UK today.