Aims:
The primary research problem of this study is to determine how and to what extent the physical characteristics of primary schools influence students' social interactions, and whether these relationships can be explained across schools located in different socio-economic contexts of Tabriz. From this perspective, the study draws on the perceptions of teachers from 12 selected public primary schools situated in high-, middle-, and low-income urban areas of Tabriz to develop a structural model explaining the relationships between the physical characteristics of school environments and students' social interactions. The findings are expected to contribute to the theoretical advancement of educational architecture while providing practical guidance for planners, architects, and educational administrators in improving the quality of school environments and fostering students' social interactions.
Materials & Methods:
This applied study employed a quantitative, descriptive–analytical survey design using a correlational approach based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study aimed to develop a structural model explaining the influence of the physical characteristics of primary schools on students' social interactions from teachers' perspectives. The conceptual framework was developed based on the literature and tested using covariance-based SEM in AMOS 26. The statistical population consisted of all teachers (N = 286) from 12 selected public primary schools located in high-, middle-, and low-socioeconomic neighborhoods Tabriz. Because of the manageable population size, a census sampling method was adopted. After excluding incomplete questionnaires, 274 valid responses (95.8% response rate) were analyzed. Data were collected using researcher-developed questionnaire comprising 46 items.
Findings:
The structural model demonstrated that the physical characteristics of primary schools have a positive, direct, and statistically significant effect on students' social interactions, thereby supporting the main research hypothesis. The coefficient of determination indicated that a substantial proportion of the variance in students' social interactions could be explained by the physical characteristics of the school environment. Among the physical dimensions, environmental safety and comfort emerged as the strongest predictor, highlighting the importance of physical security, thermal and acoustic comfort, building maintenance, and overall environmental quality fostering positive social behaviors. Educational space quality and spatial organization and legibility ranked as the second and third most influential dimensions, emphasizing the role of well-designed classrooms, natural lighting, ventilation, flexible layouts, and clear spatial organization promoting interaction among students. Regarding the dimensions of social interaction, social communication and sense of belonging exhibited the highest factor loadings, suggesting that improvements the physical learning environment primarily enhance opportunities for communication, friendship, mutual respect, and attachment to school.
Conclusion:
The primary contribution of this study lies in developing an integrated structural model that systematically explains the relationship between the physical characteristics of primary schools and students' social interactions. Unlike previous studies, which have typically examined physical or social dimensions independently, this research demonstrates their interrelationships using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Furthermore, identifying environmental safety and comfort, educational space quality, and social communication as the most influential factors provides valuable evidence for revising school design standards and developing evidence-based guidelines aimed at creating educational environments that better support students' social development and well-being.