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Participation
in the greening of schoolyards in the Ankara public school
system
Aydin Özdemir* and Mehmet Çorakçi
Department of Landscape Architecture, Ankara University,
Diskapi 06110, Ankara, Turkey.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
aozdemir@agri.ankara.edu.tr.
Tel: +90.312.596 1512. Fax: +90.312.317 6467.
Accepted 2 July, 2010 |
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This research seeks to examine how schoolyards promote
physical activity among children and how these environments
can be improved using input from students. The study is
based on a project that involved school children, teachers
and principals of five public schools in Ankara. Data was
collected using multiple methods including: Student surveys,
interviews with teachers and principals and focus-group
discussions. Results showed that schoolyards are important
to children and they are perceived as places for recreation
and relaxation. The evidence of this study indicates that
green and well maintained schoolyards can play a significant
role in promoting physical activity.
Key words:
Schoolyard, physical activity, obesity, child participation,
landscape design.
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