Investigation of spaces in pre-school education structures with design approaches in the context of montessori education model

Children's mental and physical development occurs quickly throughout the 0–6 years pre-school education period, and this is a stage that prepares them for the rest of their life. The education program in the preschool period supports the versatile development of the child. For this reason, the design of the spaces in preschool education buildings should meet all the needs of children. Spaces are designed as areas where children can experience their individual freedom, allowing them to discover themselves and reveal their talents. It is determined by many studies that the spaces in the Montessori education model, which is one of the alternative pre-school education models, contribute positively to the development of the child. The aim of this thesis is to examine the design criteria that should be applied in Montessori schools and the contribution of these criteria to education. In this study, descriptive case analysis was chosen among the qualitative research methods and the data was utilized based on this observation. Within the scope of the thesis study, following the literature analysis, the designs and spatial constructions of the examples of pre-school education buildings implementing the Montessori education approach in the world were examined. It was observed that the interior and exterior spaces in the examined schools were designed according to the design criteria of the Montessori education approach, allowing children to develop and be related to nature. The research questions of this study are as follows: What are the differences of Montessori education model from other education models? Which activity areas are needed in pre-school education and why? In what way have the interior and exterior design approaches been implemented in the Montessori education model buildings? Keywords: Preschool Educational Buildings, Montessori Educational Approach, Educational Spaces