ABSTRACT

This research investigates the intricate interplay between design preferences and sustainability practices among landscape architecture students, aiming to uncover the determinants shaping these preferences and assess students’ awareness and application of sustainable design principles. Utilizing quantitative methods, including comprehensive surveys and rigorous data analysis, this study reveals the influence of personal experiences, cultural factors, and emerging trends on design choices, and highlights the positive correlation between sustainable design education and the prioritization of sustainability practices. Key findings emphasize the significance of native plants, water efficiency, and resilient hardscape in sustainable landscape design, while also identifying challenges in integrating sustainability into real-world projects. The research envisions a future where sustainability seamlessly permeates landscape architecture, inspiring the next generation to drive positive change in the profession.

INTRODUCTION

In the dynamic realm of landscape architecture, the intersection of design preferences and sustainability practices represents a critical nexus for shaping the future of our environments. As aspiring landscape architects embark on their educational journey, understanding the factors that influence their design choices and commitment to sustainability becomes pivotal. This research seeks to delve into the nuanced landscape of these influences among landscape architecture students, aiming to unravel the intricate threads that weave together personal preferences, academic training, and environmental consciousness. Design is a form that is constantly evolving, influenced by various factors such as personal style, cultural heritage, and global trends. Landscape Architecture students draw on their experiences, education, and inspirations when describing their work to create a unique vision for each project (Khan, 2023).

The basis of a Landscape Architecture Student’s preference lies in their individual style, showcasing their aesthetic tastes, design perceptions, and creative impulses. Numerous elements like education, upbringing, and life encounters contribute to shaping this personal style (Khan, 2023).

A Landscape Architect student that is exposed to a higher extent of knowledge may influence them to have a broader preference in design. For example, a designer who works on a project in a mid-century modern building may incorporate clean lines, minimalist forms, and organic shapes into their design. By considering the building’s architecture, designers can create spaces that feel cohesive and integrated with the surrounding environment (Khan, 2023).

Nature and the environment can also be a significant influence for Landscape Architecture Students, especially if they are exposed to it. The natural world provides an endless source of textures, colors, and patterns to incorporate into Landscape Architecture. A student’s preference in design can be broader by exposing themselves to more natural spaces and by bringing the outside in (Georgi, 2011).

Statement of the Problem

The research aims to assess factors influencing preference in design and sustainability practices in University of San Carlos Landscape Architecture students. The problem at hand lies in the lack of comprehensive studies that specifically target this demographic, hindering our ability to guide the next generation of landscape architects towards a more conscious and ecologically responsible future. Within this broad theme, the research had a number of objectives:

-To Explore Design Preferences

-To Examine Sustainability Knowledge and Awareness

-To Identify Influencing Factors

-To Evaluate the Role of Education

-To Contribute to Academic Discourse

Significance of the Study

This study holds substantial significance within the realm of landscape architecture and academia for several compelling reasons. This is helpful and essential to the following:

-To the students.This study adds a valuable layer to academic knowledge by filling a specific gap in research related to the influences on design preferences and sustainability practices among landscape architecture students.

-To the educational institution. The study’s outcomes can inform educators and institutions about the specific needs and preferences of landscape architecture students, facilitating the development of more effective and tailored educational programs. This, in turn, benefits the community by nurturing a generation of professionals equipped to address contemporary environmental challenges.

Delimitations

Institutional Focus. This study focuses specifically on landscape architecture students of the University of San Carlos, and the findings may not be directly applicable to students in different schools, region with distinct cultural, and environmental contexts.
Time Frame. The study is conducted within a specified time frame, and trends or influences on design preferences and sustainability practices may evolve over time. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the time period during which the research is conducted.
Cultural and Socioeconomic Factors. Cultural and socioeconomic factors influencing design preferences and sustainability practices are acknowledged but are not exhaustively explored due to the complexity and variability of these influences. Future research may delve deeper into these aspects.
Self-Reporting Bias. The study relies on self-reported data from participants, and as with any survey-based research, there is the potential for response bias. Participants may provide responses they perceive as socially desirable rather than reflecting their true experiences or opinions.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Educational Background

A designer serves as a manager of meaning, requiring an understanding of the evolving landscape of design processes, methods, and mediums. While the fundamental process remains consistent, methods may undergo slight changes, and the choice of media can vary significantly. An ideal teaching structure for foundational courses involves a gradual implementation, starting with a singular element as the initial task for freshman students. According to Özkaynak and Üst (2012), lacking expertise in mediums renders a designer merely a facilitator, acting as a conduit in communication and reproducing existing content without adding value. This renders such individuals easily replaceable.

The contemporary approach to basic design learning is increasingly student-centered, emphasizing designers’ expression through visual elements in a meaningful manner (Özkaynak & Üst, 2012). Consequently, the newly implemented basic design teaching system for freshmen plays a crucial role in shaping students’ mindsets (Çelik, 2014). In summary, the novel theory of basic design education deviates significantly from previous theories, recognizing each designer as an independent and individual visual manager during the early stages of learning.

Exposure and Experience

The influence of exposure and experience on design preferences is evident in various studies. For instance, in the realm of art, the level of expertise and training has been shown to impact emotional responses and preference ratings for different types of artworks. Art experts and novices exhibit differences in how they perceive and are affected by art, indicating that exposure and training can influence aesthetic preferences. This suggests that similar dynamics could be at play in other design fields, where exposure to different styles, techniques, and theories can shape an individual’s design preferences.

Personal Values and Beliefs

Selecting a course of action based on principles and convictions means overcoming the factors. Its prospects are not favorable. Many of the traditions found in schools now date back to earlier periods, acting as if it were a different era. However, a lot of us have had our. Our own experiences have influenced and molded the way we educate. This individual wants to “do what was done to us” without making the deliberate decision to efficiently communicate our thoughts and viewpoints or carefully examining the balance between our behavior and our beliefs and ideals.

Peer Influence and Collaboration

The findings indicate that social interactions among designers positively correlate with both their intention to use green design and their personal norms, with personal norms acting as a partial mediating factor in this relationship. Additionally, the impact of social interactions on the intention to use green design is strengthened by the significant effectiveness of voluntary instruments. The study’s conclusions suggest that improving social connections is a useful strategy for encouraging designers’ green purpose and activating their personal norms, and that using voluntary instruments suitably is also advantageous. The engineering design industry’s green development will benefit from this research.

Access to Resources

The situated approach to professional learning highlights the importance of tools as well as time. Although we were aware at the outset of this project that time for teaching and timing of access were key to the website being used by academics, we misjudged the ability of academics to engage with resources during the semester. While teaching, academics would make very minor changes to what they had already planned, especially if they had large classes, where any changes could be stressful. The option changes are not wholly up to the academic; for example, assessment tasks cannot change after the unit of study outline has been finalized. Many spoke of the website being more useful during the design and planning phase of their teaching, which is the time between examiners’ meetings for one semester and the first weeks of the next semester. This is the time when academics will be thinking about their teaching and considering major changes. One academic used the analogy of harvesting versus planting and suggested the website is more useful. during the planting season. It is important that, when designing a website for a particular group of users, we recognise and understand their needs to ensure the website support them.

Role of Instructors

In this paper, the authors focus on illustrating the moral integrity of instructional design practice through the stories of two designers. These designers, with backgrounds in unrelated disciplines, entered instructional design through unique career paths and life experiences. The paper explores how their values and beliefs shape their work, emphasizing the importance of agency and power in their ability to contribute meaningfully to discourse.

The concept of power is defined as the ability to participate in essential discourses and the right to have one’s contribution matter. The authors highlight the necessity of making a critical difference, often involving the subversion of dominant discourses. In the examined stories, subversion is portrayed as a positive and generative power.

The chosen stories are presented as they encapsulate personal and moral strength crucial to a specific design ethics in practice. Each story represents a form of agency, revealing different and complementary agencies at personal, institutional, and societal levels. Laura’s agency is described as personal and embedded in relationships, representing agency for social change. On the other hand, David’s agency is more externally directed, possibly related to agency for social justice.

The authors express curiosity about how these two forms of agency develop and interact within the sociopolitical contexts of higher education. Additionally, they are interested in understanding the agentic zones of designers and the faculty they collaborate with.

METHODS

Participants:

The study involved landscape architecture students from University of San Carlos who volunteered to participate in the research. Participants were selected from various year levels to ensure a diverse representation of experiences and knowledge levels within the field. For sampling size, the excel spreadsheet with integrated calculations provided by Mr. Poliquit was applied. For the estimated true proportion, the quantity used by Ozer, B., and Baris, M. E. which was 1/100th of the population was applied. With a 95% confidence level, (100 - 95) ÷ 2 = 2.5 is the area in each tail of the standard normal curve. 100 - 2.5 = 97.5 indicates the cumulative area up to the second tail. Find 97.5 ÷ 100 = 0.975 in the z-table to get a z-score of 1.9 + 0.06 = 1.96.With a margin of error of ±0.03% and an expected sample proportion of 0.01, the sample size would need to be 34.

Data Collection:

Data collection was conducted through a structured questionnaire survey administered online through Google Forms. The survey comprised multiple-choice questions related to educational background, personal values and beliefs, exposure and experiences to hands-on projects, role of instructors, industry trends and demands, accessibility to resources, and peer influences. The questionnaire was designed to gather both quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the research objectives.

Data Analysis:

Quantitative data collected through the survey were analyzed using statistical software RStudio. Descriptive statistics, including mean, median, and standard deviation, were used to summarize and present numerical data. Inferential statistics, such as correlation analysis, were employed to identify relationships between variables. Qualitative data from open-ended questions were subjected to thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and insights.

Limitations:

It’s important to acknowledge certain limitations of the study, including potential response bias, as participants self-reported their experiences and preferences. Additionally, the study focused on landscape architecture students from a specific institution, which may limit the generalizability of findings to a broader population.

Results

Some more guidlines from the School of Statistics.

This section should summarise the findings of the research referring to all figures, tables and statistical results (some of which may be placed in appendices). - include the primary results, ordered logically - it is often useful to follow the same order as presented in the methods. - alternatively, you may find that ordering the results from the most important to the least important works better for your project. - data should only be presented in the main text once, either in tables or figures; if presented in figures, data can be tabulated in appendices and referred to at the appropriate point in the main text.

Often, it is recommended that you write the results section first, so that you can write the methods that are appropriate to describe the results presented. Then you can write the discussion next, then the introduction which includes the relevant literature for the scientific story that you are telling and finally the conclusions and abstract – this approach is called writing backwards.

Histogram

Figure 1

Histogram of Price

Contingency Table

DISCUSSION

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

The intricate role of a designer as a custodian of meaning underscores the paramount importance of comprehending the ever-evolving landscape of design methodologies, processes, and mediums. The enduring essence of the design process remains intact, while methods may undergo nuanced alterations, and the selection of media can wield significant variations. This underscores the significance of an adept understanding of mediums, as highlighted by Özkaynak and Üst (2012), for a designer’s proficiency in contributing substantive value rather than functioning merely as a conduit in communication.

The paradigm shift toward a student-centered approach in basic design education, as elucidated by Özkaynak and Üst (2012), manifests a fundamental departure from conventional theories. Emphasizing meaningful expression through visual elements, this contemporary approach acknowledges each designer as an autonomous visual manager right from the initial stages of learning.

Therefore, this novel theory of basic design education reframes the pedagogical approach by recognizing and empowering individual designers, instilling independence and fostering a deeper understanding of visual communication early in their educational journey. This transformative educational framework not only cultivates technical expertise but also nurtures the creative autonomy and expressive capacity of aspiring designers. Embracing this paradigm shift not only enriches the educational experience but also cultivates a new generation of designers equipped to navigate and innovate within the dynamic realms of design practice and theory.

EXPOSURE AND EXPERIENCE

In conclusion, the profound impact of exposure and experience on design preferences, as evidenced in numerous studies, mirrors the analogous influence observed within the realm of art. Research highlighting the disparities between art experts and novices in their emotional responses and preference ratings for various artworks underscores the undeniable effect of expertise and training on aesthetic perceptions. This serves as a poignant reminder that exposure and training significantly mold and differentiate individuals in their understanding and appreciation of art.

Consequently, recognizing the profound influence of exposure and experience on design preferences underscores the necessity for a comprehensive and diverse educational approach. Providing opportunities for aspiring designers to engage with a wide array of design styles, techniques, and theories can enrich their understanding, broaden their perspectives, and empower them to develop their unique design sensibilities. Embracing this understanding within design education fosters a more inclusive and innovative landscape, nurturing designers equipped with diverse perspectives and enriched by a spectrum of experiences.

PERSONAL VALUES AND BELIEFS

By bridging this gap between personal convictions and educational practices, educators can foster an environment that is more inclusive, responsive, and aligned with contemporary values. Embracing this reflective approach can lead to a more thoughtful and effective educational experience that resonates with the diverse needs of learners in today’s ever-evolving society.

The inherent challenge lies in the tendency to perpetuate these traditions without critical examination or deliberate consideration of their alignment with one’s own beliefs and ideals. Often, educators might unknowingly replicate methods they experienced in their own education without assessing their compatibility with their personal convictions or the current educational landscape.

In conclusion, the influence of personal values and beliefs in shaping educational practices is an intricate and often overlooked aspect in the realm of teaching and learning. The prevailing traditions entrenched within educational institutions often stem from bygone eras, adhering to practices that may not necessarily align with contemporary values or effectively cater to the evolving needs of learners.

PEER INFLUENCE AND COLLABORATION

The profound influence of peer interaction and collaboration among designers on fostering green design initiatives emerges as a pivotal finding in recent research. The positive correlation observed between social interactions and both the intention to engage in green design practices and the formation of personal norms highlights the significant role of interpersonal connections in shaping designers’ attitudes and behaviors towards sustainability.

Moreover, the study underscores the crucial mediating role of personal norms, indicating that these individual internal standards act as a pathway through which social interactions impact designers’ intentions to adopt green design practices. Additionally, the study accentuates the complementary impact of voluntary instruments, further reinforcing the potency of social connections in encouraging a commitment to environmentally conscious design.

Ultimately, the integration of these insights into industry practices not only holds the potential to propel the engineering design sector towards more sustainable outcomes but also signifies a paradigm shift towards a collective commitment to environmental stewardship within the design community at large.

ACCESS TO RESOURCES

The situated approach to professional learning accentuates the critical significance of both tools and timing in the context of academic resource utilization. The insights gleaned from the project underscore the complexities surrounding the accessibility and integration of resources within academic settings, particularly emphasizing the pivotal role of time constraints in academic engagement with such tools.

Moreover, the limitations posed by institutional structures, such as finalized unit outlines and fixed assessment tasks, further restrict the flexibility for academics to adapt resources during ongoing teaching phases. The feedback indicating the website’s greater utility during the design and planning phase of teaching underscores the criticality of considering the timing of resource availability in alignment with educators’ workflow and decision-maUltimately, the key takeaway from this exploration is the necessity of user-centric design when developing resources like websites for specific user groups. Understanding the nuanced needs and constraints of educators in their various phases of teaching and planning is paramount to ensuring that resources are not just available but also effectively support and enhance their teaching endeavors. This calls for a more thoughtful and empathetic approach in designing educational tools, aligning their accessibility with the periods when educators are most receptive and in need of support, thereby optimizing their utility and impact within academic settings.king processes.

ROLE OF INSTRUCTOR

The exploration of the role of instructors in instructional design illuminates the profound impact of moral integrity, values, and beliefs on shaping the practice of educational design. Through the narratives of two designers, this paper underscores the diverse pathways through which individuals from unrelated disciplines enter instructional design, driven by their unique life experiences and career trajectories. Central to these narratives is the emphasis on the significance of agency and power in the realm of instructional design. The concept of power, defined as the ability to engage meaningfully in essential discourses and influence outcomes, takes center stage. The authors highlight the pivotal role of making a critical difference, often involving the challenging of established norms and dominant discourses, thus portraying subversion as a positive and generative force within instructional design practice. In essence, this exploration underscores the complexity and depth inherent in the role of instructors within instructional design, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of agency, power, and ethical considerations. These narratives offer invaluable perspectives that not only enrich our understanding of instructional design practices but also prompt further inquiry into the intersection of personal values, agency, and societal impact within the educational landscape.

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