Green Music: Integrating Nature, Music, and Technology to Foster Environmental Awareness and Inclusion in Education
Keywords:
Environmental education, Music-based Learning, Nature ConnectednessAbstract
This study presents Green Music, an educational protocol fostering students’ connection to nature through music, technology, and experiential learning. Rooted in experiential learning and environmental education, it addresses the increasing human-nature disconnection by promoting ecological awareness and pro-environmental behaviors. Implemented in Italian lower secondary schools, the intervention emphasized inclusion through low-cost technologies and adaptive strategies for students with special needs. A mixed-methods design was used: quantitative data from the Connectedness to Nature Scale - children (CNS-ch) in a pre-post design with 114 students, and qualitative data from Mentimeter reflections. Activities integrated outdoor sessions with Plants Play biofeedback devices, reflection tasks, and creative outputs such as podcasts and digital storytelling. Results showed a modest but significant increase in connectedness to nature (t(111) = -2.66, p < .01, Δ = 0.17). Students associated nature mainly with positive emotions and tangible elements. Overall, Green Music enhanced emotional engagement and provided an inclusive, multisensory model for sustainability education.
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