Page 155 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Standards for rural residential façades and areas

2.6. Evaluation factor reliability and validity testing Table 4. Attributes of respondents

The reliability and validity of the scales used in this study were Situation Type Number of Percentage
assessed to ensure their accuracy. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient people (%)
was calculated to assess the reliability of the importance and Birthplace Native 65 39.39
performance scales. Reliability and validity analyses were Non-native 100 60.61
conducted using SPSS 27 on the 14 factors of importance and Age Under 18 years 2 1.21
performance. The Cronbach’s alpha values were 0.963 for the old
importance factors and 0.960 for the performance factors, 18 – 30 years old 63 38.18
both exceeding the threshold of 0.7, indicating high reliability
for both scales. Furthermore, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value 30 – 40 years old 50 30.30
was 0.810, exceeding the recommended threshold of 0.8, 40 – 50 years old 36 21.82
signifying that the data were suitable for factor extraction Over 50 years old 14 8.49
and demonstrated robust validity. Educational Junior high 3 1.82
background school and below
3. Results Senior high 3 1.82
school
3.1. Demographic characteristics of respondents
College degree 159 96.36
This study analyzed the demographic characteristics of and above
the respondents to assess whether the sample composition
accurately reflects the population characteristics (Kwon Table 5. Importance and performance analysis of elements
et al., 2016). The effective sample population exhibits the
following key characteristics: Elements Importance Performance Importance‑
performance analysis
First, 60.61 percent of respondents were non-local Entrance 4.08 3.56 0.52
residents of Suzhou, reflecting the city’s significant
immigrant population. Suzhou’s attraction as a destination Wall 4.21 3.78 0.43
for work or study enriches its diversity. This diversity Windows and 4.25 3.78 0.47
enhances the comprehensiveness of the research findings, doors
indicating that the conclusions drawn from this study may Roof 3.97 3.88 0.09
be applicable to rural areas in other regions. Furthermore, Detail 3.82 3.76 0.06
these insights provide valuable guidance for Suzhou’s Environment 4.17 3.75 0.42
future development. Overall mean 4.08 3.75 0.33
values
Second, respondents aged 18 – 30 years old constituted
the largest group (63 respondents, or 38.18%). This age cohort
represents a crucial demographic for rural revitalization > Environment > Entrance > Roof > Detail. The scores
efforts, as their perspectives are critical for effectively for these elements ranged from 3.82 to 4.25, with
implementing changes in rural housing and community Windows and Doors, Wall, and Environment receiving
development. The second largest groups were those aged 30 – significantly higher importance ratings. Conversely,
40 (50 respondents, or 30.30%) and 40 – 50 (36 respondents, the detail score was markedly lower than the other
21.82%). These age groups play a pivotal role in shaping the elements, indicating that residents prioritize functional
current state of rural residential development, as their needs aspects, such as walls, doors, and windows, over finer
significantly influence the appearance of rural house façades architectural details.
and environments (Table 4). In terms of performance, the ranking is: Roof >
Windows and doors = Wall > Detail > Environment >
3.2. Importance and performance analysis Entrance. Performance scores ranged from 3.56 to 3.88,
Based on the survey data, statistical values were compiled to with the Roof, Walls, and Windows and doors achieving
assess the importance and performance of various elements the higher performance scores. Notably, Entrance had the
as perceived by residents in Suzhou. The importance and lowest performance score.
performance rating was derived from the mean values of A significant negative correlation was observed between
respective indexes (Table 5). the importance and performance of the Roof element,
From the perspective of importance, the rankings while Windows and doors and Wall elements exhibited
of elements are as follows: Windows and doors > Wall positive correlations.

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.5719