Impacts of Daylighting on Preschool Students' Social and Cognitive Skills

Authors

Safak Yacan, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Mark Hinchman

Date of this Version

Summer 8-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science

Major: Architecture

Under the supervision of Professor Mark Hinchman

Lincoln, Nebraska, August 2014

Comments

Copyright 2014, Safak Dincer Yacan. Used by permission

Abstract

The focus of this study is the element of daylight in preschools and its social and cognitive effects on preschoolers. The current study is a correlational study that assesses infants’ social and cognitive developments, and daylight in preschool classrooms. Participants were 69 children (30 boys and 39 girls), aged from four to five, who enrolled in two different early childhood facilities in Van in Turkey. It was hypothesized that preschoolers’ social and cognitive skills would be correlated with daylight in preschool classrooms. Results revealed that there was a crucial correlation between preschool students’ social behavior and cognitive skills and daylight in preschool classrooms. It was also hypothesized that there would be a correlation between classrooms’ daylight conditions and students’ social competence in preschools. The results showed that there was a significant correlation between students’ social behaviors and preschools’ classrooms daylight conditions. Furthermore, students’ cognitive skills were also crucially correlated with classrooms’ daylight conditions in preschools. However, there was not an association between boys and girls regarding social behavior and cognitive skills. Additionally, children’s social competences and cognitive behaviors did not significantly differ by age. Also, limitations of the current study and further considerations are discussed.

Advisor: Mark Hinchman