3.1.1 Social-Ecological Model (SEM):
Within the context of ecologically friendly urbanization, the Social-Ecological Model (SEM), which is a framework that dissects influences across individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal levels, provides a nuanced lens that allows for a better understanding of the complex relationship that exists between physical activity, achievement emotions, and academic performance among students attending Jiangsu Higher Vocational College. At the individual level, SEM investigates the inherent motives, beliefs, and attitudes of pupils about academic achievement and physical exercise. In terms of interpersonal relationships, it investigates the influence that the encouragement of peers, the support of family members, and contacts with teachers have on the emotional states of students and their academic endeavors (De Keyser & Lijesen, 2023). The policies of the institution, the distribution of resources, and the support services that are provided to students are all examples of examples of organizational factors. Community components such as easily accessible green areas, recreational facilities, and neighborhood activities all play a role in the formation of routines for physical exercise and academic engagement. Furthermore, the behaviors and emotional experiences that kids have about success within an environmentally friendly urban environment are highly influenced by the social norms and cultural values that surround academic performance and physical exercise. Through the use of structural equation modeling (SEM), it is possible to get a thorough knowledge of these diverse factors to shed light on the combined impact that they have on the academic accomplishments, emotional well-being, and physical activity habits of students in urban environments that are environmentally sensitive (Tola & Lonis, 2021).
Figure 1 is an illustration of the Social-Ecological Model (SEM), which is a comprehensive framework that investigates the complex interaction between numerous elements that influence kids' academic performance, psychological emotions, and physical activity levels within the context of environmentally friendly urbanization. The structural equation model takes into account various levels of influence, including individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal influences, and highlights how these levels affect the academic successes, emotional well-being, and physical activity habits of students. An example of this would be the correlation between positive thoughts and support on both an individual and interpersonal level and increasing levels of physical activity and academic performance (Ramli et al., 2015). In a similar vein, the regulations, facilities, and positive norms that are fostered by towns and institutions have a tremendous impact on the behaviors and accomplishments of students within this urban setting. To stimulate changes in physical activity, accomplishment feelings, and academic success among kids in environmentally friendly urban environments, the use of the SEM may drive personalized interventions targeting these levels. These interventions can range from educational programs to policy implementations and social campaigns.
Table 1
An example of how the data could be represented in a tabular format
Level of Influence | Factors Examined | Impact on Students |
Individual | Personal motivations, attitudes towards activity | Intrinsic drives affecting engagement and emotional experiences |
Interpersonal | Peer support, familial encouragement, mentorship | Social networks influencing emotional states and academic pursuits |
Organizational | College policies, academic resources, support services | Institutional structures shaping behaviors and academic outcomes |
Community | Accessible green spaces, recreational facilities | Surrounding environments impacting activity habits and engagement |
Societal | Cultural norms, societal expectations | Societal values influencing attitudes toward activity and success |
This table provides an overview of the several levels of impact that are included in the SEM framework, as well as a summary of the individual elements that are investigated within each level. In addition to this, it provides a concise illustration of the possible influence that these elements may have on the academic results, accomplishment emotions, and physical activity engagement of kids within the context of environmentally friendly urbanization. You can edit or build upon this table by particular research results or extra elements that are pertinent to the study or research (Bai et al., 2020).
3.1.2 Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory
The Ecological Systems Theory advanced by Bronfenbrenner provides an all-encompassing perspective on the interrelated layers that affect the development of a human. These levels include the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, and the macrosystem. Applied to the context of "Exploring Ecologically-Friendly Urbanization" among Jiangsu Higher Vocational College students, this theory elucidates the intricacies of how the college environment (microsystem) interacts with the broader urban settings (exosystem) to influence students' physical activity, emotions, and academic achievements. The microsystem is comprised of direct interactions that take place inside the college, such as classrooms, classmates, and instructors. On the other hand, the exosystem contains external factors such as the neighborhood, city planning, and legislation that affect the environment of the college (Modisha et al., 2019). Within the context of the larger urban landscape, this framework makes it possible to investigate how elements of urban design, such as walkability, green spaces, recreational facilities, and community policies, have an impact on the college environment and, as a result, have an impact on the students' physical activity habits, emotional well-being, and academic accomplishments. It highlights the necessity of understanding the interaction between the immediate surroundings of the institution and the larger urban setting to cultivate an atmosphere that is environmentally friendly and favorable to the success and well-being of students.
The Ecological Systems Theory developed by Bronfenbrenner is shown in Fig. 2 as a visual representation within the framework of an investigation on environmentally responsible urbanization among students attending Jiangsu Higher Vocational College. Through the lens of this theory, the complicated ways in which different systems, ranging from the microsystem to the macrosystem, influence human development are described(H. Zhang et al., 2023). Within the context of this illustration, the microsystem encompasses the local environment of the institution, which includes classrooms, classmates, and instructors. On the other hand, the exosystem encompasses exterior effects such as neighborhood settings, city planning, and policies. It demonstrates how components of urban planning that are part of the larger urban environment, such as walkability, green spaces, and community policies, affect the college microsystem, which in turn affects the student's academic performance, emotional well-being, and physical activity. By highlighting the significance of understanding the interaction between the local surroundings of the college and the larger urban setting, the graph highlights the necessity of building an environment that is favorable to the success and well-being of students within the framework of environmentally responsible urbanization (Siagian et al., 2017).
Students' stated feelings of accomplishment and academic success during physical exercise in an environmentally friendly urban context are shown in Fig. 2. It reveals that after physical exercise, 75% of students reported feeling happy, 15% reported feeling sad, and 10% reported feeling indifferent. Furthermore, 30% of students had medium performance, 10% received bad performance, and 60% received great performance in the classroom. This shows that the majority of children benefit from physical exercise and do well academically in these settings. Nonetheless, acknowledging the minority that is going through difficult times or doing worse academically emphasizes how crucial customized help is. Although it is obvious that physical exercise has a favorable effect on emotions and academic performance in environmentally friendly environments, further study is necessary to confirm this. These results might be attributed to endorphin release, enhanced cognitive performance, and decreased stress (Zaman & Moemen, 2017). Despite these results, it's critical to focus on students who need more help to maximize their academic potential and reap the benefits of physical exercise, with a particular emphasis on the promising role that environmentally friendly urban areas may play in improving student achievement and well-being.
The following is an example of a data Table 2 that illustrates Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory as it is applied to the influence of physical exercise, accomplishment emotions, and academic performance among students attending Jiangsu Higher Vocational College within the context of environmentally friendly urbanization.
Table 2
Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems
Ecological System | Components | Influence on Students |
Microsystem | College environment, classrooms, peers, instructors | Direct interactions shaping students' daily experiences, social relationships, and academic engagements |
Mesosystem | Interactions between microsystems (e.g., college-home connections) | Synergies between college and external environments, affecting students' behaviors, attitudes, and support |
Exosystem | Surrounding urban settings, neighborhoods, city planning, policies | Indirect influences impacting the college environment, shaping facilities, infrastructure, and community |
Macrosystem | Broader cultural context, societal norms, educational ideologies | Cultural values, and societal expectations influencing attitudes towards physical activity and academic success |
Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory is broken down into four distinct levels, and this table provides an overview of the components that are included inside each layer that are pertinent to the investigation. Within the context of environmentally responsible urbanization, it elucidates how these components exert an impact on the experiences, behaviors, and academic results of students. The expansion of these components may provide a thorough picture of how the interrelated systems affect the participation of students in physical activity, achievement emotions, and academic performance within the context of the collegiate environment, which is impacted by larger metropolitan surroundings (Coskuner et al., 2020).