Designing learning environments from part-to-whole: A holistic approach based on end-user preferences

This doctoral dissertation investigates the impact of existing school buildings on students, focusing on perceptions, experiences, and design preferences in relation to the broader goal of building a sustainable society. School buildings are not only spaces for academic instruction but also play a critical role in students' emotional and social development. In this context, the quality of the physical environment directly shapes students' school experiences, sense of belonging, and learning motivation. The aim of this research is to evaluate school design through the lens of student perceptions and to propose a holistic framework for student-centered and sustainable school environments. Employing a qualitative research design, the study integrates the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET), concept card sorting, individual and focus group interviews, document analysis, and transformation-oriented action research. The research was conducted in various middle schools located in the socio-culturally diverse Southeastern region of Turkey. Findings reveal significant deficiencies in school buildings with respect to aesthetics, functionality, accessibility, and spatial adequacy. Students' metaphorical expressions clearly illustrate the influence of physical environments on learning processes, psychological well-being, and social interaction. Moreover, student participation is shown to be closely linked with emotional connection to space, ownership, and engagement with school climate. The results emphasize the necessity of including student voices in school design processes as a critical step toward user-centered and sustainable transformation. This dissertation presents a transformative school vision that integrates physical environments with pedagogical processes and offers practical recommendations for educators, architects, and policymakers.