A phenomenological approach to examine the lived experience of pupils with school walls; case study of preschool children

Throughout history walls have existed as one of the fundamental components of any building which are used to define a space or outline edges, to contain a space that provides indoor comfort qualities for the specific needs of users. Different architectural typologies such as a house, a factory, a school, a prison, or a religious building can only be recognized by building walls. However, it is wise to note that the term wall has the implication of a plane being existed in a vertical and horizontal configuration which identifies a place. An educational place/institute such as a school is a place in which children spend most of their time. In this light, it is believed that the value of education has always been attached to the significance of the 'educational place/institute,' as well as the impact it has on the human mind, particularly during childhood, a period during which a child's personality, attitude, and behavior are still developing. This thesis aims to examine the lived experiences of students aged 5-6 of 'school-wall' from a phenomenological perspective. There are studies about 'walls' in architecture and the role they play in construction resulting in categorizing walls as several types. There is, however, no research that is more focused on the perceptive role that walls play in the minds of children and the role that walls play in an educational context from the perspective of children's subjective interpretation. The methodology of the study is qualitative based on a literature review, field observation of children as well as a semi-structured interview conducted among 58 children in Bahçeşehir College Preschool.