Preference for Components of a Horticultural Therapy Program for Alleviating Job Stress Among Secondary School Teachers

Background and objective: This study investigated the program components preferred by secondary school teachers to design effective horticultural therapy programs to relieve their job stress.Methods: An online survey was conducted from April 8 to 28, 2025, targeting 307 middle and high school teachers. The questionnaire included 8 items on demographic characteristics, 4 items on emotional labor and job stress levels, and 10 items on preferred components of horticultural therapy programs.Results: Job stress levels were measured on a scale from 0 (low) to 10 (high), with the majority of the respondents (57.8%) scoring 7 or higher. The most individual strategies for relieving job stress were exercise (31.9%) and travel (25.9%). Regarding preferred program components, most teachers favored programs consisting of a total number of 10 or fewer sessions (85%), held once per week (74.3%), with each session lasting 60 minutes or less (70.7%), and involving 10 or fewer participants per session (78.2%). Preferred times for program participation were after work (31.8%) and during lunch breaks (32.6%). Indoor settings were preferred by 42% of respondents as the location of program activity, and group therapy was the most preferred format (33.3%). Lastly, in terms of preferred activities, respondents most commonly selected gardening (34%), followed by craft (33.9%) and cooking activities (25.3%).Conclusion: These findings are expected to serve as a foundational reference for the design, institutional adoption, and further research of horticultural therapy programs aimed at relieving job stress among secondary school teachers.