Recognizing the Factors Affecting the Representational Space of Children Based on Their Drawings (Case Study: Educational Spaces)

The purpose of this study is to identify physical and non-physical factors affecting the desired experience of primary school students in educational spaces in Isfahan, which is innovative in terms of the subject matter and the nature of children's life experiences of attending educational spaces. The methodology of the present article is based on mixed method that students' mental images and life experiences have been obtained using their drawings. Given the integration of the identifier and the subject of identification in this method, it can be considered a suitable way to represent and understand the life experience of children. A total of 192 drawings were classified by open coding method and analyzed by exploratory factor analysis by SPSS software. The results indicate that the five main factors affect the lived experience and students' mental image of the educational environment, which in order of priority include 1. Emphasis on building legibility; 2. Referring to various types of activities; 3. Emphasis on the overall appearance of the building; 4. Pay attention to natural factors and outdoor space and 5. Pay attention to the details of environmental-sensory stimuli.