School Gardening Program for Improving Social Relations of Elementary School Students

In our lifetime, we establish various relationships with different people from different groups. Building and maintaining desirable social relations is a key to living a happy life. In the case of senior elementary students, amicable peer relationships help them to fulfill developmental goals such as socialization. However, if they are rejected by their peers, it could lead to serious maladaptive problems. Thus, in this study, we will assess the effectiveness of school gardening program (from sowing to harvesting) for promoting social relations among elementary students in the fifth and sixth grades. The sample used for this study included fifth and sixth grade students from 4 elementary schools in Wonju, which have similar environmental conditions. The experimental group consisted of 123 students (62 boys, 61 girls), four 5^th and 6^th grade classes. The control group included 123 students (boy 62, girl 61), four 5^th and 6^th grade classes. This gardening program included activities from sowing through harvesting and was designed to develop peer status, peer relationships and sociality.  The program was embedded in the school curriculum and included 90 minutes per week for 10-week, from April 16 through June 25. Classrooms and outside school garden (about 70 m²) were used for the program. The treatment students were divided into groups (5 to 6 members) by pre-peer status. Results were analyzed using SPSS 19.0. ANCOVA (Analysis of covariance) was conducted to test difference of sociality scale, peer relation scale between the experimental and control groups. Frequency analysis was used for peer status scale. Firstly, the school gardening program brought about meaningful differences in both durability of friendship (P < 0.039) and adaptability between friends (P < 0.029), subfactors of peer relationship, of the experimental group. Secondly, there was significant improvement in sociality (P < 0.000), especially in law-abiding (P < 0 .000), collaboration (p< 0.000), subcategories of sociality. With regard to peer status, in the experimental group the number of popular children increased while the number of neglected and rejected children decreased. In contrast, in the control group, the number of neglected and rejected children increased while the number of popular children decreased. In conclusion, school gardening programs for promoting social relations among elementary students give a positive influence on peer relationship, sociality, and peer status. Implementing and expanding a garden program at school will effectively contribute to developing social relationship of the elementary school students.