Inside or outside? The role of classroom setting location on child executive function

Spending time in nature can have many benefits, particularly for executive function. This explorative study examined the difference between learning settings on child's executive function in Australian children aged 8 to 10 (N = 24, female = 50%). A repeated measures design was employed using identical drawing tasks, followed by the Attention Networks Task, to measure executive function in participants one week apart. Data analysis found no significant differences between the two settings for executive function (g = 0.23), with reaction times significantly faster inside the classroom (g = 0.48). Results are contrary to the established links between executive function and time spent outdoors, suggesting future research design in this area examine a larger sample size and include qualitative data to add context.