A Study on the Integrated Perception of Gardening Curriculum by Major of Pre-service Teachers

This study aimed to develop educational materials for integrating horticultural education into school curricula and horticultural therapy programs. To achieve this, integrated guidance plans for horticultural subjects, created by pre-service teachers from four departments, were analyzed based on the contents. Additionally, the preferences of pre-service teachers by major and their interest in horticultural activities were examined through a questionnaire. The analysis of the integrated horticultural curriculum guidance plans linked to the majors of pre-service teachers’ major revealed the following preferences: Music Media for the Music major, Painting and Craft Practice for the Art Department was Painting, Reading and Writing for the English Department, and Children’s Emotions for the Childhood Special Department. The integrated horticultural activities varied from department. The English Department incorporated the fewest activities, while the Early Childhood Special Education Department employed a wide range, including herb use, container cultivation, vegetable cultivation, and flower design. The characteristics of the integrated curricula were also analyzed: the Music Department focused on “expressing emotions through music,” the Art Department emphasized “utilizing plants as visual media,” the English Department aimed at “promoting essential language understanding,” and the Early Childhood Special Education Department centered on “healing through plants.” The class subjects were divided into categories such as “expressing plant activities through music,” “expressing emotions through music,” “expressing plants through art,” and “cognitive, emotional, and psychological healing through plants” in the Early Childhood Special Education Department. This approach primarily reflects an integrated horticultural curriculum based on the nature of educational content rather than its structure. Based on these findings and similar studies, the integrated guidelines with other subjects related to horticulture, possibilities for integration, and case activities were presented. Additionally, a survey on pre-service teachers’ preference for horticultural activities suitable for integration with their major areas and subjects revealed that “music media,” “conversation room,” “English listening and speaking,” and “children” were the most preferred in each major. These preferences aligned with the major subjects used in the lesson planning by pre-service teachers. The horticultural activities with the highest preferences were “utilized activities,” such as using herbs (3.90), flower arrangements (3.81), and flower basket making (3.74). By major, the Early Childhood Special Education Department had the highest average preference, while the English Department showed relatively low preference. An ANOVA was conducted to analyze group differences between the four majors regarding preferences for horticultural activities as part of integrated subject activities. Significant differences were found in five activities: vegetable cultivation (3.88), flower arrangement (3.84), vegetable harvesting (3.29), flower cultivation (3.15), and bouquet making (2.99). A post-hoc analysis (0.05) was conducted to identify specific groups showing significant differences in the five individual horticultural activities. Significant differences (0.03 and 0.04) between the English Department and the Early Childhood Special Education Department were analyzed.