Evaluating of the Effect of Environmental Graphic Design on Encouragement Oriented Cultural Development Case study: Separation of Waste Material Behavior of Primary School Students

The word culture has many different meanings. However, for anthropologists and other behavioral scientists, culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns and is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Culture is a powerful human tool for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon. It is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists only in our minds. Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) can play a role in social life of urban societies. EGD embraces many design disciplines including graphic, architectural, interior, landscape, and industrial design, all concerned with the visual aspects of way-finding, communicating identity and information, and shaping the idea of creating experiences that connect people to place. However, the question is how much this role may be quantitatively effective in a given community and contribute to different dimensions and aspects of its culture. The focus of this study is to measure, quantitatively, the effect of using EGD on primary school students’ attitude and behavior with regard to separating waste material. The study enjoys a time-series quasi experimental design. To this end, a primary school in Isfahan was randomly selected from among the girls’ schools. The sample who participated in the study were 230 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders. After three pretests, the EGD was implemented where the students’ awareness towards separation of waste material was raised. The treatment included educating, informing, and encouraging the use of sorted waste baskets. This was followed by three post-tests. Both pretests and post-tests involved three measures each time a measure of the volume and weight of the waste material was obtained. A questionnaire was also used to study the effectiveness of EGD in improving the participants’ awareness, attitude, and behavior. The questionnaire was developed by experts in the field. Results showed significant difference between the amount of waste material before and after implementation of EGD. The results also showed changes in the participants’ attitude towards handling waste material. Results of the Q also showed improvements in the attitude of the school teachers and students in using waste material sorting baskets.