Date of Award
8-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
International Family and Community Studies
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Mark Small
Committee Member
Dr. Bonnie Holiday
Committee Member
Dr. Susan Limber
Committee Member
Dr. Natallia Sianko
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the mental health benefits of a school-based urban gardening program for primary school students in Kosovo, where there is limited access to psychological support within educational settings. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed, involving 112 students aged 9 to 11 from two public schools in Pristina, who were divided into an intervention group (n = 56) and a control group (n = 56). The intervention group engaged in an 8-week structured gardening program, while the control group followed the standard curriculum. Psychological outcomes were assessed using validated instruments, including the Perceived Stress Scale for Children (PSS-C), the Social Connectedness Scale - Revised (SCS-R), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA).
The results indicated significant improvements in psychological measures in the intervention group. There was a notable decrease in stress levels, with a substantial reduction in scores observed. Additionally, social connectedness showed significant enhancement, highlighting the program's efficacy in fostering interpersonal relationships among participants. Furthermore, maladaptive emotional regulation strategies, specifically expressive suppression, saw a considerable reduction, with no significant changes recorded in the control group.
A one-way ANOVA indicated that economic status acted as a moderating factor for stress outcomes, suggesting that middle-income students derived the most substantial benefits from the intervention. The findings imply that school-based gardening programs effectively reduce stress, enhance social connections, and promote healthier emotional regulation among children, particularly in under-resourced contexts. Supporting literature underlines the potential for gardening to foster healthier behaviors and improve mental well-being through enhanced social connections and teamwork while simultaneously developing essential life skills such as responsibility and resilience. The psychosocial benefits of gardening may create an emotionally supportive environment, facilitating emotional engagement and interpersonal sensitivity among peers. The evidence indicates that nature-based, experiential learning interventions represent scalable, low-cost strategies to improve mental health outcomes for students in Kosovo and similar educational contexts.
Recommended Citation
Zabeli, Imri, "Assessing the Mental Health Benefits of a School-Based Urban Gardening Program in Kosova" (2025). All Dissertations. 4076.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4076