Effects of a Community-Based Smart Gardening Program on Student’s Emotional and Behavioral Changes

Background and objective: As emotional and behavioral issues such as bullying, social exclusion, violence, and depression continue to intensify in school environments, there is a growing need for innovative interventions. This study examines the effectiveness of the Smart Gardening Project, an intervention approach that combines traditional gardening programs with the Swedish Smart Program model, to address these challenges.Methods: The study involved 49 sixth-grade students from OO Elementary School and 16 students from OO Middle School in Seoul, South Korea. A community-based Smart Gardening Program, consisting of 10 sessions, was implemented over a three-month period from September to November 2023. For quantitative analysis, Pre- and post-tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of the program on participants' self-esteem and perceived stress levels. Additionally, for qualitative analysis, data was collected through session-by-session observations of students' attitudes, language, and behavior, as well as structured interviews with participating local businesses owners.Results: Among elementary school students, self-esteem increased significantly by 1.71 points (<i>p</i> < .05), while perceived stress decreased by 1.09 points, although the reduction was not statistically significant. Among middle school students, no statistically significant changes were observed in either self-esteem or perceived stress. However, qualitative findings revealed significant positive changes in the students' emotions, interpersonal relationships, and values. Participating local businesses owners emphasized emotional rewards and enhanced community vitality rather than direct economic gains, suggesting a positive shift in perceptions of community engagement.Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the potential of a community-based Smart Gardening Program as a holistic intervention strategy. Through interactions with local businesses and engagement in gardening activities, students developed a stronger sense of belonging and community connectedness. Howerver, this study is limited by its relatively short experimental period, unlike the Swedish Smart program, which has demonstrated sustained effectiveness through more than five years of implementation.