Effects of Short-Term Natural Environment Exposure on Preservice Teacher Well-Being

This study explores changes in well-being for 16 preservice teachers in natural and simulated professional development environments. The Rumination Questionnaire and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used as indicators of well-being. A follow-up survey assessed changes in preservice teachers’ well-being strategies four months later. Compared to the professional development setting, the natural environment positively affected rumination and POMS scales of Tension-Anxiety, Confusion-Bewilderment, Esteem-Related Affect, and Total Mood Disturbance. Follow-up data found that participants agreed that spending time in natural settings improved their well-being; however, time constraints limited doing so. Conclusions suggest that preparation programs consider including nature-based experiences as one strategy for developing teacher well-being. Keywords: Preservice Teachers, Well-Being, Resilience, Environment, Professional Development