HOW STUDENTS PERCEIVE SCHOOL BUILDINGS?: A POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATION THROUGH ZALTMAN METAPHOR ELICITATION TECHNIQUE

Abstract

Despite the relationship between learning theories and space, there is not enough information about the use of school buildings. This issue needs to be investigated through Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE). Students are the main users with the most social participation in the building system. Therefore, it is necessary to interpret the school concept that is concrete-dominated, has multiple narrow windows, and has classrooms facing each other and opening to narrow corridors under the light of the experiences of the students and enable students to express their interpretations about the school building through the POE process. In this study, Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) was used. The participants of this study consisted of 21 volunteer students from three middle schools. Visual metaphors and phased focus group interviews were used for deep understanding. The data obtained were presented under the themes of ergonomics and comfort, individualization, and school atmosphere. The study clearly highlights that ergonomy, comfort, and individualization create a structure that is intertwined with the perceived school atmosphere. Child-friendly and tailored approaches provide an opportunity for a deep understanding of students' perceptions and ZMET is very functional in gathering data on complex subjects like school building performance evaluation.