Beyond Pooled Averages: Sex-Patterned Variation in Biophilic School Experience among Ugandan Primary Pupils
Keywords:
inclusive school design, biophilic environments, pupil experience, sex-disaggregated analysis, Uganda; environmental perceptionAbstract
Biophilic school research commonly reports pooled pupil averages, potentially concealing whether particular groups experience the same environment differently. This exploratory secondary analysis used 302 questionnaires from four government-sponsored primary schools in Mukono District, Uganda (148 boys and 154 girls) to examine similarity and variation in reported well-being and four perceived biophilic domains. Welch tests, effect sizes, Benjamini-Hochberg false-discovery-rate adjustment and a school- and age-adjusted sensitivity model were used. Four of five composite domains showed no statistically supported sex difference after multiplicity correction. Girls reported higher Emotional and Social Environment scores than boys (M=3.97 versus 3.77; d=.31; raw p=.008; FDR p=.039), although the coefficient attenuated after school and age adjustment (B=.140; HC3 p=.054). Five of 50 exploratory items survived FDR correction: perceived lighting sufficiency, bird sounds, flower scent, opportunities to explore and chair comfort, all with small effects (d=.33-.40). The contribution lies in the contrast between broad similarity and localised difference. Pooled scores were largely comparable, yet several concrete features generated questions about comfort, access and environmental use that aggregate reporting could overlook. The results support inclusive, participatory assessment of school environments rather than sex-segregated design or assumptions of inherent female preference for nature.
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