Architectural Design Education Program for Children: Adaptation into Turkish Culture and Analysis of its Effectiveness
Abstract
Problem
Statement:
Design, which is a process of creating, supports individuals’ pursuit,
experience and discovery, and contributes to the improvement of higher-order
thinking skills. A systematic design education offered in the early years of
life boosts especially creative thinking and problem solving skills as well as
awareness of the environment and nature. Such education programs have been
implemented continuously in Europe and America. However, in Turkey, there is no
design education for children.
Purpose
of the Study: This research aims to adapt into Turkish culture
the Architectural Design Education Program for American preschool and primary
school children aged 6-11 and to analyze its effectiveness in improving the
design skills of Turkish children. The effectiveness of the program is examined
within the sub-question if there are any statistically significant differences
between the experimental groups instructed by adapted program and the control
groups instructed by conventional activities in the concept of design skills
exhibited through performance-based assessments particular to each
instructional session.
Method: The
Architectural Design Education Program was adapted into the Turkish culture
through studies carried out with expert groups. In the academic year 2011-2012,
177 children were given this education program in a primary school in Ankara.
These students constituted six experimental groups that represented all levels
of grade/age (i.e. preschool and primary education from 1st to 5th
year students/aged 6-11). On the other hand, a total of 167 children in six
control groups received a program consisting of conventional activities.
Analytic rubrics were used to assess, at the end of each instructional session,
the products designed by children in line with performance tasks. With a view
to comparing the design skills of children in different programs, Mann Whitney
U-test for independent samples was used for analysis.
Findings:
The analyses
show that there are significant differences in the development of design skills
between the experimental groups and the control groups at all levels of
grade/age, and that the difference was in favor of the experimental groups.
Conclusion and Recommendations: The results show that all
instructional activities carried out within the scope of the Architectural
Design Education Program are effective in social, emotional and cognitive
development of children aged six to 11, improving their higher-order thinking
processes based on design skills. It is recommended that this interdisciplinary
program, making use of mathematics, history, science and arts, should be
integrated with basic areas of instruction in education programs so that its
effectiveness can be enhanced.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
April 15, 2015
Submission Date
April 15, 2015
Acceptance Date
-
Published in Issue
Year 2015 Volume: 15 Number: 59