The study presents the results of the ERASMUS+ project “Sciencing Europe” (2020-I-ES01-KA201-082876) in Latvia. Strengthening the approach of inclusive education in compliance with the country's external regulatory enactments (Latvian Educational Development Guidelines for 2021-2027, 2021), the objective of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of the greenhouse, as a teaching and learning resource in education, in natural sciences in the context of inclusive education.

School gardens and greenhouses are part of lots of schools. Especially in elementary schools, they are applied as a learning and experience space for students. Their importance in the development of students' cognitive and emotional affective abilities and their positive impact on the prosocial behavior of children and adults, as well as on nature, has been empirically proven (Pollin & Retziaff-Fürst, 2021) - social and emotional skills related to cooperation with others and interpersonal conflict resolution among students increase when students are involved in gardening and horticulture experience; which is especially true for students with special needs (Markham-Petro, 2019).

Socio-emotional factors such as attitude, identity, and interest are more important long-term outcomes than achievement scores or grades (Fortus & Touitou, 2021; Nguyen & Riegle-Crumb, 2021).

One of the most well-known approaches to natural science teaching is Science, Technology, Society, and Environment (STSE), which embodies the idea of inclusive science (Bennássar et al., 2010) and includes teaching strategies based on science contextualization , emphasizing the relevance of appropriate contexts to students' personal, social and everyday aspects of life, as well as opportunities to form the principal scientific ideas, relationships among them andtheoretical models (Blanco et al., 2015).

Thus, gardens, greenhouses and other contexts are important contexts in the natural science learning process, causing interest and learning motivation (Eugenio-Gozalbo et al., 2019) which helps connect abstract learning with individual and collective experiential learning, and integrate daily life activities with the learning content (Tello & Diaz, 2017).

Gardens, greenhouses are a suitable real-life context for teaching natural sciences at all stages of education, where students experience space and develop their observation skills. In primary education, gardens “provide a climate of affectivity and motivation, promote the establishment and consolidation of simple cause-effect relationships” (Eugenio-Gozalbo et al., 2020, 12).

Garden and greenhouse resources are used to engage students in food production and to experiment with production and consumption patterns (Pineda Encalada & EstradaMartínez, 2019), as well as to promote healthy eating habits (Ohly et al., 2016).

In order to answer the research question - whether there are statistically significant differences between the first and second measurements, taking as a reference point the application of the greenhouse as a learning strategy at the beginning and end of the school year, a set of research instruments has been developed - a questionnaire, which includes the following criteria identified as a result of the theoretical analysis: • Family member or friend with special needs; • Classmate with special needs; • Classes at school in the open air/garden/greenhouse; • Participation of students with special needs in the open air/garden/greenhouse; • Willingness to study together with a student with special needs; • Promotion of the teacher’s active participation for students with special needs; • Selection of a student with special needs as a partner in project work; • Decision to help a student with special needs in or out of class; • Teacher support for students with special needs; • Classes in the open air/garden/greenhouse as motivational for learning; • Environmental benefits of buying and growing local vegetables; • Caring for the environment; • Positive attitude towards natural sciences; • Students helping the teacher to organize classes in nature/garden/greenhouse; • Attitude towards learning through doing. During the period from 2021 to 2022, 107 general education school students aged between 11 and 14 from various regions throughout Latvia participated in the in a longitudinal study, who were offered the opportunity to experiment and carry out scientific research in a greenhouse during the learning process of natural sciences. Questionnaires as a data collection method containing a 4-point Likert scale (1=no, 2= rather no, 3=rather yes, 4-yes) and non-parametric data processing methods for quantitative data processing in the SPSS environment - Wilcoxon Two Related Samples Test for statistically significant difference determination between two dependent samples have been used in the longitudinal study which has been determined by the non-compliance of the empirical distribution with normality (p≤0.001). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the test reliability examination indicates good internal consistency (α=.81). The results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test on the non-compliance of the empirical distribution with the normal one (p=.000) have determined the application of non-parametric for the secondary data acquisition.

The findings of the research show that the greenhouse is an effective learning resource - positive dynamics can be observed in the assessment of several components of the learning process identified as a result of the analysis of scientific literature: mutual cooperation and support improves, including students with special needs (p=.012); the proportion of methods to be applied such as learning by doing (p=.000), group work and projects increases (p=.000) , as well as the learning motivation improves (p=.000), a positive attitude towards natural sciences develops (p=.007), the care for the environment is practiced and the understanding of the need and possibilities of local produce production (p=.000), application and promotion has been formed (p=.049). Findings of the research do not contradict findings of other studies. When young children are participating in garden and greenhouse activities they are: communicating their knowledge about the world to others, conveying (and learning to process and manage) emotions, and developing important skills (e.g., initiative, self-confidence, literacy, math, science skills) that will help them be more successful in school and better navigate the world (Miller, 2007). Business model demonstration, participatory education and co-learning are more efficient pedagogical methods in the provision of sustainability of education. Virtual education and classroom education should be less dominant in training activities. Virtual education is a good additional method, nevertheless it ultimately does not provide the hands-on experience and social interaction that, for instance, a demonstration of a business model in a specific context provides (De Witte et al., 2023). The challenge of the future in education is to model a smart interdisciplinary greenhouse, where not only natural sciences would be combined, but also art, technology, etc., which would allow students to improve their interest, involvement and self-efficacy, as well as implement the principle of the unity of theory and practice (Jackson et al., 2022).

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