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Connecting college students with nature: An evaluation indicator system for the implementation of horticultural therapy programmes on university campuses Cover

Connecting college students with nature: An evaluation indicator system for the implementation of horticultural therapy programmes on university campuses

Open Access
|Jul 2024

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

College students engaged in horticultural planting activities.
College students engaged in horticultural planting activities.

Figure 2.

College students taking photos of the plants they have planted.
College students taking photos of the plants they have planted.

Figure 3.

Structure model of evaluation system.
Structure model of evaluation system.

Figure 4.

Evaluation system construction based on the Delphi method.
Evaluation system construction based on the Delphi method.

Quantitative criteria for expert familiarity_

Degree of expert familiarityQuantised value
Very familiar1.0
Familiar0.8
General familiar0.6
Not familiar0.4
Definitely not familiar0.2

Importance level and quantised value_

Importance levelQuantised value
Equally important1
Slightly more important3
Significantly more important5
Strongly more important7
Absolutely more important9
Intermediate value between two adjacent judgements2, 4, 6, and 8

Quantitative criteria for the basis of expert judgement_

Basis of judgementQuantitative values for different levels of impact on experts
Large impactGeneral impactLittle impact
Practical experience0.50.40.3
Theoretical analysis0.30.20.1
Understanding from peers0.10.10.1
Intuition0.10.10.1

Evaluation system for the implementation of horticultural therapy programmes on university campuses_

Target layerCriteria layerIndicator layerInterpretation of indicators
A. Evaluation system for implementation of horticultural therapy programmes on university campusesB1. Horticultural therapy teamC1. Horticultural professional guidance teamA team led by horticultural therapists, with the participation of experts in medicine, psychology and landscape architecture, to provide professional guidance on the conduct of horticultural therapy programmes
C2. Horticultural volunteer teamThe team, mainly composed of college students majoring in landscape architecture and other related disciplines, is responsible for the planning, publicity, organisation, operation and maintenance of the campus horticultural therapy programmes
B2. Horticultural therapy planC3. Therapeutic scheduleA therapeutic horticultural schedule determined by taking into account the programme participant’s spare time arrangement, health status, recovery goals and the healing techniques available on campus
C4. Horticultural activityHorticulture-related healing activities suitable for college campuses, including plant growing, landscaping, arts and crafts making, and other long-term and short-term activities
C5. Treatment effectiveness evaluationEvaluating the effectiveness of horticultural treatment through the recording of personal physical and psychological health information and the recording of the treatment process
B3. Natural healing environmentC6. Horticultural spaceEstablishment of sites on university campuses dedicated to the implementation of horticultural therapy programmes
C7. Healing landscapeA green space landscape that emphasises human–nature interaction and promotes the therapeutic effects of horticultural therapy
C8. Horticultural facilityFacilities that ensure the normal conduct of horticultural activities, such as raised planting beds, trellises, water supply and drainage facilities
B4. Post-maintenance managementC9. Landscape maintenanceMaintain the healing effect of the landscape by regularly cleaning the grounds, maintaining plants and updating facilities
C10. Horticultural resource managementRegular management of horticultural resources ensures that horticultural therapy-related activities continue, such as managing pests and diseases, renovating soil and storing seeds
C11. Operation and maintenance teamA team led by a relevant school function (e.g. university logistics department) that ensures the continuity of the horticultural therapy programme
C12. Project cost controlReasonable control of the costs of horticultural therapy programmes to facilitate sustainability

Experts’ demographic information_

Demographic variablesFrequencyPercentage
Age (years) 30–40440
41–50550
≥51110
Sex
Female660
Male440
Research field
Landscape architecture550
Medicine and psychology330
Horticulture220
Years of related experience
11–20440
21–30440
31–40220
Professional title
Associate professor880
Professor220

Expert opinions’ authority degree_

IndicatorRound 1Round 2
CaCsCrCaCsCr
B1. Horticultural therapy team0.7700.8200.7950.8300.8800.855
B2. Horticultural therapy plan0.7700.8200.7950.8800.8400.860
B3. Natural healing environment0.8700.8800.8750.9100.9000.905
B4. Post-maintenance management0.8500.8000.8250.8700.8600.865

Expert opinions’ coordination degree_

Experts (n)Kendall’s Wχ2p-value
Round 1100.22820.488<0.05
Round 2100.44248.583<0.01

Results of consistency test_

Judgement matrixλmaxCIRICRCriteria for CR
B1.B2.B3.B4.4.0300.0100.8900.011<0.1
C1.C2.2.0000.0000.0000.000<0.1
C3.C4.C5.3.0180.0090.5200.017<0.1
C6.C7.C8.3.0020.0010.5200.002<0.1
C9.C10.C11.C12.4.0780.0260.8900.029<0.1

The preliminary evaluation system for implementation of university horticultural therapy programmes_

First-level indicatorSecond-level indicator
B1. Horticultural therapy teamC1. Horticultural professional guidance team
C2. Horticultural volunteer team
B2. Horticultural therapy planC3. Therapeutic schedule
C4. Horticultural activity
C5. Treatment effectiveness evaluation
B3. Natural healing environmentC6. Horticultural space
C7. Healing landscape
C8. Horticultural facility
B4. Post-maintenance managementC9. Landscape maintenance
C10. Horticultural resource management

Evaluation system indicator weights_

Criteria layerWeight coefficientRankIndicator layerWeight coefficientRankCombination weightsRank
B1. Horticultural therapy team0.1903C1. Horticultural professional guidance team0.66710.1273
C2. Horticultural volunteer team0.33320.0637
B2. Horticultural therapy plan0.3411C3. Therapeutic schedule0.38720.1322
C4. Horticultural activity0.44310.1511
C5. Treatment effectiveness evaluation0.17030.0589
B3. Natural healing environment0.2892C6. Horticultural space0.21130.0618
C7. Healing landscape0.38620.1125
C8. Horticultural facility0.40310.1164
B4. Post-maintenance management0.1804C9. Landscape maintenance0.15540.02812
C10. Horticultural resource management0.24220.04310
C11. Operation and maintenance team0.40410.0736
C12. Project cost control0.19930.03611
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fhort-2024-0014 | Journal eISSN: 2083-5965 | Journal ISSN: 0867-1761
Language: English
Page range: 221 - 233
Submitted on: Feb 26, 2024
Accepted on: Jun 7, 2024
Published on: Jul 18, 2024
Published by: Polish Society for Horticultural Sciences (PSHS)
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

© 2024 Tongyu Li, Siyuan Guo, Binxia Xue, Wenjia Yang, published by Polish Society for Horticultural Sciences (PSHS)
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.