Effect of Horticultural Activity on the Emotional Intelligence, Social Competency and School Adjustment in Saturday After-school Program for Elementary School Students

This study was conducted to examine the effects of horticultural activity on the emotional intelligence, social competency, and school adjustment in saturday after-school program for elementary school students.The fifteen students using the B Children's Library in Mokpo city were participated in this horticultural activity program(HAP).The program were performed 1 time per week from September 22 to December 22.The HAP were composed of making pressed flower works, making and caring the vegetable garden, planting and harvesting the sprout vegetable, making the christmas card.The emotional intelligence, social competency, and school adjustment scale were evaluated to examine the effects of HAP between before and after program.In the emotional intelligence, mean value of 15 subjects showed high score of 115.0 after HAP compared to 97.0 before HAP.In social competency, mean value of subjects was higher by score of 132.6 after HAP than score of 114.9 before HAP, and social competency of all subjects was significantly improved.In school adjustment, mean value of 15 subjects was higher by score of 122.1 after HAP than score of 109.8 before HAP, and school adjustment of all subjects was significantly improved.Therefore, HAP as saturday after-school program was effective in improvement of emotional intelligence, social competency and school adjustment in elementary school students.