The educational use of daily-life contexts is considered a valuable strategy to promote
meaningful science learning, since it facilitates the establishment of connections
between previous knowledge, personal interests, and new learning. The aim of this
work is to provide evidence to support the presence of gardens at educational
centers, by assessing key science topics whose learning is promoted at the preschool,
primary, secondary, and university stages. To this end, we analyzed the paired
graphic representations of “a garden” that students drew both before and after their
participation in a garden-based learning program. Firstly, we obtained the frequency
of appearance of every represented element, and afterward characterized the level of
change between paired graphic representations. Sample size was of 24–19–25–29
pairs per stage, respectively. Across all stages, an overall improvement in students’
graphic expression was observed, which can be attributed to their experience in the
space. At the pre-school stage, the garden favored the establishment of some simple
cause-effect relationships which were consolidated at the primary stage, and provided
a climate of motivation and affectivity that was evident in the final drawings, given
the enormous quantity of details represented, the level of the finished product, and
the careful combination and variety of colors. The presence of elements related to
water notably increased in final graphic representations from pre-school, primary, and
secondary education, thus evidencing that the use of gardens facilitates an approach to
responsible water management. At the university stage, students initially demonstrated
good knowledge of conventional agriculture, while the gardening experience -which
was based on permaculture practices- helped evolve their ideas toward an alternative
model of cultivation. The most prevalent science learning across all stages was related
to plant knowledge, particularly to their anatomical traits and diversity. Finally, the role
of educational gardens as models for students was evidenced, which suggests the
importance of teachers and institutions carefully considering which model to offer.
