Preschool Education Spaces: Interior Design Suggestions within the Framework of the Maarif Education Model-Space Relationship

Preschool education settings, where children take their first steps in the education and socialization process after parental education, are critically important for their physical, mental, and social development. During this period, learning becomes permanent, and interaction with the environment intensifies. In this context, school settings are considered educational elements supporting learning. The study examines the impact of the educational model and legal regulations applied during the child's development process on interior design, using the example of Konya Meram Mevlâna Kindergarten. The aim is to evaluate the effects of the child–Maarif Education Model–space relationship in preschool education structures. The hypothesis is that the Maarif Model is important in meeting children's psychological and educational needs through spatial perception parameters. A mixed research method was adopted in the study; qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews in the first phase were evaluated through content analysis, and in the second phase, design recommendations were developed using simulation and architectural visualization tools based on these findings. As a result, original, functional, and aesthetically qualified children's learning environments were designed.