Outdoor Science Education and Child Well-being in Primary Schools: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial on Learning, Connection to Nature, Eco-anxiety, and Stress

NCT ID: NCT07147634

Last Updated: 2025-12-31

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1000 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-09-02

Study Completion Date

2026-11-30

Brief Summary

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The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to learn if an outdoor science education intervention can improve primary school students' learning and well-being when compared to an indoor classroom-based science education intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Will students who engage in outdoor science learning produce higher-quality observations of living organisms than students who receive instruction exclusively in an indoor, classroom-based context, when both groups are invited to make observations in an unfamiliar natural environment?
* Does an outdoor education intervention embedded within the science curriculum contribute to children's connection to nature, eco-anxiety and stress?

Participants will:

* Receive a science education intervention 2h/week for a total of 5 weeks, either indoors or outdoors
* Answer questionnaires before and after the intervention
* Participate in a field day-trip after the intervention where they will be asked to observe living organisms.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Healthy Children

Keywords

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Stress School-Based Intervention Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Primary School Connection to Nature Eco-anxiety Science Learning Outdoor Education

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The science education intervention consists of teaching Québec's mandatory science curriculum, focusing on life science topics and issues.
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Outdoor science education

2h of outdoor science education intervention per week for a total of 5 weeks (following Québec's mandatory curriculum)

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Outdoor science education

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Following Québec's mandatory curriculum, primary school teachers will provide life science lessons 2h/week for a total of 5 weeks in an outdoor setting

Indoor classroom-based science education

2h of indoor science education intervention per week for a total of 5 weeks (following Québec's mandatory curriculum)

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Indoor classroom-based science education

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Following Québec's mandatory curriculum, primary school teachers will provide life science lessons 2h/week for a total of 5 weeks inside the classroom

Interventions

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Outdoor science education

Following Québec's mandatory curriculum, primary school teachers will provide life science lessons 2h/week for a total of 5 weeks in an outdoor setting

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Indoor classroom-based science education

Following Québec's mandatory curriculum, primary school teachers will provide life science lessons 2h/week for a total of 5 weeks inside the classroom

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Primary schools need to have a deprivation index equal to or superior to 1 (with 10 being the maximum) and be located in Montreal, Longueuil or Laval (QC).
* Teachers have to show some interest in outdoor education but are not obliged to have already done some before in order to be included.
* Only 5th and 6th grade teachers are included.
* Primary schools with two teachers interested in participating in the project.

Exclusion Criteria

* Alternative schools or those welcoming recently arrived non-Francophone students are not included.
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Université de Sherbrooke

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Jean-Philippe Ayotte-Beaudet

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jean-Philippe Ayotte-Beaudet, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Université de Sherbrooke

Locations

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Greater Montreal area (Laval, Longueuil, Montreal)

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Canada

Central Contacts

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Gabriela Quintela Do Carmo

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 803-477-7554

Email: [email protected]

Jean-Philippe Ayotte-Beaudet

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 514-999-6647

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Gabriela Quintela Do Carmo

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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435-2022-0651

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2023-3453

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id