Analysis of interior design requirements for kindergarten classrooms with respect to learning environment elements

Preschool education is the most crucial stage of children's physical, social, cognitive and emotional development. Nowadays it is very common that both parents work, while their kids are cared by teachers, therefore an effective classroom design should provide the child with the right facilities for the efficient development of his/her personality since they spend much of their time in such settings. The present study gathers the overall information of elements within learning environments, children's needs and the response of surveyed teachers. Providing general considerations for an effective implementation of three alternative teaching methods within learning environments. The study analyzes the interaction of three teaching methods with the classroom design and it suggests what responsible educational institutions and especially designers can do at a general level to contribute to the improvement of early education. The study is designed using descriptive research method, scientific observation and to collect data 24 participants from Ankara (Turkey) were surveyed. Three different schools were analyzed by means of interior design criteria within learning environments to determine how classroom design supports the teaching-learning process and follows the principles of three teaching methods. Existing research and the data gathered were subsequently used to provide considerations for a proper design of a kindergarten classroom, supportive for the activities that both children and teachers perform on a daily basis, also within this framework the elements that contribute to children skills development as features of the learning environment were determined.