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A study of students’ lifestyle, design preferences and their relationship in Design and Technology (D&T) education in Singapore
Author
Ng, Hui Ling
Supervisor
Yau, Che Ming
Abstract
This study attempts to validate a lifestyle questionnaire and a design preferences questionnaire to establish significant relationship between lifestyle and design preferences of secondary two students in Singapore. The processes of instrument development and validation of the two questionnaires are described, along with a review of the relevant literature related to lifestyle, design in the subject of Design and Technology, and preferences. An exploratory factor analysis and a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis of the responses from a sample of 926 students resulted in a 22-item and 17-item instrument with robust psychometric properties of lifestyle and design preferences respectively.
Five distinct factors of lifestyle emerged: Consumerism, societal concerns, environmental concerns, Internet orientation, and innovativeness. In addition, three distinct factors of design preferences emerged: Colours, overall features, and textures. The results show that the proposed instrument has satisfactory psychometric properties and that the hypothesized theoretical model had a good fit with the data. The predictability of design preferences is presented along with statistically significant relationship between lifestyle and design preferences. It is hoped that this study has provided some useful insights into the issues surrounding the examination of construct validity of the lifestyle and design preferences questionnaires to assess the relationship between lifestyle and design preferences of the students.
Findings on students‘ personal values, influences on their preferences on a product, and popular activities among them revealed: Having fun and enjoyment in life was their top priority; friends, family members, and Internet had the most immediate influences on the students; SMS messaging, listening to music, and networking were among the popular activities of the students. The study concludes with a discussion of the uses of the study and implications as well as directions for future research.
Five distinct factors of lifestyle emerged: Consumerism, societal concerns, environmental concerns, Internet orientation, and innovativeness. In addition, three distinct factors of design preferences emerged: Colours, overall features, and textures. The results show that the proposed instrument has satisfactory psychometric properties and that the hypothesized theoretical model had a good fit with the data. The predictability of design preferences is presented along with statistically significant relationship between lifestyle and design preferences. It is hoped that this study has provided some useful insights into the issues surrounding the examination of construct validity of the lifestyle and design preferences questionnaires to assess the relationship between lifestyle and design preferences of the students.
Findings on students‘ personal values, influences on their preferences on a product, and popular activities among them revealed: Having fun and enjoyment in life was their top priority; friends, family members, and Internet had the most immediate influences on the students; SMS messaging, listening to music, and networking were among the popular activities of the students. The study concludes with a discussion of the uses of the study and implications as well as directions for future research.
Date Issued
2011
Call Number
T65 Ng
Date Submitted
2011