Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
Department of Architecture, Lahijan Unit, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran
Abstract
What is considered as a serious concern in the contemporary urban system is the widening gap between man and natural systems. The extreme density of buildings has brought about interaction with technology instead of interaction with nature, and lack of interest in environmental concerns for the urbanite adolescents, which can lead to a serious crisis in the mental health of an adolescent due to being on the path of maturity. Many studies in the field of learning environments indicate the effectiveness of interaction with natural processes on the promotion of adolescents' social identity; therefore, creating a suitable environment for reducing social harm and acquiring social skills can be effective in reducing mental pressures.
Background and Objectives: Researches have shown that adolescents' interaction with nature is effective in improving stress and promoting effective mental health, and also nature-based learning environments play an important role in improving adolescents' social identity. This study tries to improve the level of adolescents’ mental health by recognizing and analyzing biophilic approach patterns as a nature-based approach, along with acquiring related capabilities and skills in educational environments. In addition to the explanation of the patterns corresponding to the experiences of biophilic (bio-oriented) attitudes, the present study prioritizes the related environmental indicators to acquire the abilities (cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and motivational) of the adolescence period in the context of learning.
Materials and Methods: The used method is applied in terms of purpose, and the study method is descriptive-analytical and survey in terms of nature. Data collection is based on the study of library resources, and in the field stage, it is based on the distribution of questionnaires and interviews; also, the SPSS software was used to analyze the data. The Chi-square test is used to examine the significance of the relationship between variables in the research hypotheses, and the Pearson test is used to examine the correlation of independent and dependent variables that indicates the establishment of a correlation between research variables, which shows that the accuracy between all variables is less than 0.05 and the correlation coefficient of all relations is positive. The correlation coefficient between all variables is above 0.6 that indicates the establishment of a positive and strong relationship between all of the variables. The Friedman test was used in order to prioritize the relationships and strategies, and the content validity method was used to determine the reliability of the measurement of the questionnaire’s validity; also, the Cronbach's alpha test was used to examine the reliability of the questionnaire in SPSS software.
Results: There is a significant difference between the types of environmental experiences (direct experience of nature, the indirect experience of nature, and the experience of space and place) in order to establish a compatible interaction between adolescents and nature. Also, the experience of direct interaction between adolescents and cognitive competence acquisition has the greatest impact on the promotion of adolescents' mental health; subsequently, the indirect experience of nature with cognitive competence acquisition and experience of space and place with behavioral competence acquisition have the greatest impact on the promotion of adolescents' mental health. According to the obtained information, social competencies are prioritized through biophilic design experiences.
Conclusion: The results indicate that design experiences in the context of learning according to the biophilic approach can meet the psychological needs of the adolescent period, because of the deep multifaceted relationship with nature. Providing solutions following the patterns of this approach in nature-based learning environments can provide the conditions for achieving social adequacy and promoting adolescents’ mental health.
Keywords
Main Subjects
COPYRIGHTS
©2020 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.
', './data/jte/coversheet/cover_en.jpg'))
Send comment about this article