The role of school gardens in supporting teachers’ psychological well-being and landscape development in special education schools: A systematic literature review

Teachers in special education schools face complex emotional and occupational challenges that can compromise their well-being and the quality of teaching. Growing evidence suggests that exposure to green environments, particularly school gardens, may support psychological restoration and promote healthier educational settings. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesize existing studies on three main aspects: (1) the sources and types of psychological stress experienced by special education teachers, (2) the documented functions and restorative value of school gardens, and (3) the current research progress on landscapes in special education schools. Following the PRISMA 2020 framework, studies published between 2005 and 2025 in English and Chinese were identified from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. A total of thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed through thematic synthesis. The results indicated that emotional labor, behavioral management, parental communication, and role ambiguity were the primary sources of stress among special education teachers. School gardens were found to serve educational, restorative, and therapeutic functions that foster experiential learning, reduce stress, and strengthen teacher–student relationships. Recent research trends revealed an increasing integration of psychological and spatial perspectives; however, there remains a lack of validated frameworks for restorative design in special education campuses. This review concludes that well-designed school gardens can play a critical role in supporting teacher well-being and inclusive education. Future research should focus on combining psychological, spatial, and ecological indicators to develop evidence-based restorative landscape frameworks tailored specifically for special education schools.