A multidimensional exploration of the immediate physiological and psychological restorativeness of nature education for children in Giant Panda National Park

As the issue of “Nature-Deficit Disorder” among urban children becomes increasingly prominent, it is crucial to explore definite, scientific and systematic models of nature education. This aims to strengthen children’s connection with nature, promote their physical and mental health, enhance their self-awareness and social cognition, and improve their interpersonal relationships and decision-making skills. Using the methods of EEG (Electroencephalogram) monitoring, scale questionnaireing and facial recognition technology, this study shows how different forms of nature education impact children’s immediate physiological and psychological restorativeness with 35 child participants involved in direct, indirect and symbolic contact with nature for experiments. The study confirms that both direct and indirect contact with nature can enhance children’s concentration and relaxation, with no significant difference between them. Both forms of contact with nature can improve positive emotions and alleviate negative emotions for children. However, special attention to the form of direct contact with nature is still warranted. The study also preliminarily explored the feasibility of using Google Vision facial recognition technology in nature education. All the research is dedicated to helping with the issues arising from children’s “Nature-Deficit Disorder,” promoting children’s wellbeing, fostering sustainable and continuous protection of nature, and cultivating future citizens with a strong sense of social responsibility and good adaptive capacity.