Association between school garden participation and pupils' school motivation

This study examined whether schooldays in school gardens are associated with higher levels of basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation compared to regular school days, and whether participation in a school garden program improves overall school motivation. Experiences of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and intrinsic motivation were measured among 827 pupils (9–12 years) on schooldays with and without school garden activities. General school motivation was measured pre- and post-program among 718 participants and 638 nonparticipating control pupils. Pupils reported small increases in autonomy, competence, relatedness, and intrinsic motivation during days with 4–5 h in school gardens compared to regular schooldays. No significant differences were found for relatedness and autonomy on days with only 2.5 h of gardening. Participation in the program did not significantly influence overall school motivation. School gardens foster pupils’ daily motivation and needs satisfaction, especially with at least 4–5 h of engagement.