Educators' Perceptions Associated with School Garden Programs in Clark County, Nevada: Practices, Resources, Benefits and Barriers

Background: School garden programs have grown in popularity in the United States. Educators’ attitudes, knowledge, and motivation are crucial to implementing comprehensive school garden programs. To expand school garden education, it is necessary to identify effective practices and determine the resources necessary to deliver these programs, as well as describe the benefits and barriers of using school gardens in order to provide the rationale for spending time and money on gardens. Methods: Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to describe principals’ and teachers’ current practices, and to identify perceived benefits and barriers and report needed resources to operate successful school gardens. A survey was sent to 250 CCSD teachers and administrators using an electronic web site link. One hundred and nineteen educators completed the survey, 105 of which met criteria to be used in this study. Results: Many educators with gardens perceive that students benefit from school garden programs. Significant differences between teachers and administrators in regards to the benefits of school gardens as well as operational factors such as when students used the gardens were noted. Conclusion: This suggests a need for improved communication between these two groups to align expectations of school garden programs