A New Perspective On Learning Environments In Iran: A Post-Occupancy Multidimensional Evaluation Of Social, Cultural, And Functional Aspects

Subject Areas : Environmental

marjan ilbeigi ¹ , Mohammad Ghomeishi ^{2 *} , Ali Asgharzadeh ³ , Nima Amani ⁴

1 - Department of Architecture, Chalous Branch, Islamic Azad University, chalous, Iran.
2 - Department of Architecture, Damavand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damavand, Iran.
3 - Department of Architecture, Chalous Branch, Islamic Azad University, chalous, Iran.
4 - Department of Civil Engineering, Chalous Branch, Islamic Azad University, chalous, Iran.

Received: 2023-08-06 Accepted : 2023-11-16 Published : 2023-11-22

Keywords: Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), Environment, Social, Cultural, User Satisfaction, Educational Space.,

Abstract :

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is an effective tool for assessing the actual performance of buildings under everyday use conditions, particularly in learning environments where spatial quality and psychological well-being play a crucial role in the educational process. This study adopts a multidimensional social, cultural, and functional approach to examine primary schools in Tehran, aiming to reveal the gap between design objectives and users’ real experiences. Data were collected through a validated questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.893) from 384 teachers and students. Statistical analyses (ANOVA and Pearson correlation) indicated that ventilation (r = 0.586), access to fresh air (r = 0.435), lighting quality, and interior furniture/materials quality (r = 0.701) showed the strongest correlation with user satisfaction, whereas summer thermal discomfort (r = -0.327) and internal noise (r = -0.369) were identified as major challenges. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three latent dimensions of satisfaction, including spatial quality, sensory comfort, and clarity of spatial circulation. The findings indicate that users’ feedback on educational environments is inherently multidimensional and space-dependent, highlighting the need for user-centered design aligned with Iran’s social and cultural contexts. Accordingly, a set of design strategies and policy recommendations was proposed to enhance the quality of learning environments and harmonize them with the lived experiences of students and teachers. These results can serve as a foundation for developing new guidelines in the art and science of educational space design and provide a model for future POE research.

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