Systematic Review of the Components of Child-Centered Educational Space Design Using the PRISMA Approach

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to systematically review studies conducted on the design of child-centered educational spaces and to identify, categorize, and explain the main components affecting the quality of these spaces. This study was conducted as a systematic review based on the PRISMA reporting framework. The search for sources was carried out in the Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, SID, and Noormags databases within the time span of 2015 to 2025. The inclusion criteria consisted of original research studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published in reputable peer-reviewed journals that focused on children aged 3 to 12 years and on the physical or spatial components of educational environments. The exclusion criteria included lack of relevance to the topic, duplication, low credibility of the source, lack of access to the full text, and non-compliance with quality appraisal criteria. After identifying 461 articles, the stages of duplicate removal, title and abstract screening, full-text review, and quality appraisal using the CASP checklist were performed, and finally, 23 eligible articles were included in the final analysis. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, thematic synthesis, and MAXQDA software. The results of the inductive analysis and thematic synthesis showed that the design of child-centered educational spaces is based on five fundamental components: spatial flexibility and diversity, connection with nature, safety and human scale, sensory richness and stimulation, and identity formation and participatory capacity. Spatial flexibility and diversity were emphasized in all selected studies and included cozy spaces, group spaces, movement-oriented spaces, and movable furniture. Connection with nature, safety, and human scale were also introduced in most studies as key components for enhancing children’s calmness, concentration, place attachment, and physical and psychological safety. Sensory richness and participatory capacity, as complementary dimensions, also played an important role in stimulating curiosity, personalizing space, and strengthening children’s sense of ownership toward the educational environment. The findings indicate that the design of child-centered educational spaces requires an integrated, interdisciplinary approach grounded in children’s lived experiences. The simultaneous integration of spatial flexibility, nature-oriented design, safety, sensory richness, and children’s participation can lead to the formation of environments that are safe, dynamic, motivating, and identity-enhancing. The resulting framework can serve as a practical guide for architects, educational designers, school administrators, and education policymakers in designing and redesigning children’s educational spaces.