Evaluating Environmental Quality of Interactive Behavior - Place System in Transitional Spaces of Children's Learning Environments (Case Study: Primary Schools in the North East of Tehran)

According to studies, Successful design of informal spaces (transitional spaces)in terms of environmental qualities is of great importance, both in voluntary and in social activities of users in school. The absence of essential qualities, leads to disrupted patterns of behavior. Hence, effective factors in the formation and the correct function of behavioral settings should be investigated to organize, plan and design learning environments. In this paper, we evaluate the role of environmental quality assessment components in transitional spaces in interactivity and eagerness to engage in activity. First, we have identified the environmental factors affecting the quality of behavioral environments and the reason for involving the concepts of behavioral- setting and place affordance in transitional spaces. Also, the formation of the hypothesis test conceptual model in accordance with David Canter theory of place is explained. To validate this conceptual model, the physical context of transitional spaces in elementary schools of the North East of Tehran are considered. This design of this research is based on correlation relationships and the investigation process is based on the combination of the quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaire, informal interviews and observations were used to collect data for hypothesis test and then analyzing with SPSS software. The results approve the clear relationship between environmental quality assessment components and promoting children's interactive behavior in learning environments. In conclusion, by establishing a balance between physical, functional andconceptual components of place, the environmental quality of  the interactive place-behavior system in transitional spaces of learning environments can be improved.