Exploring the Effective Components in Enhancing the Physical Activity of Pupils in the Open Spaces of Primary Schools from the Perspective of Architects, Principals and their Deputies

Physical inactivity is one of the factors that seriously threatens the quality of life of today’s children and adults of tomorrow. Schools are one of the most important spaces for promoting motor behavior. In the current research, a qualitative system, content analysis method, and the Delphi technique were used to explore the factors and components of motivating the movement of students in the open space of schools. At first, by examining the background of the research, factors, and variables effective in increasing physical activity were identified. To collect the data, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 15 experts in the field of architecture of educational space from different universities in Tehran. After receiving the questionnaires and analysis of the feedback surveys, 26 influential variables were obtained. To find the relationship between the effective factors and the extracted components, a total of 130 architects and school staff were selected through non-random sampling and used a closed questionnaire with a Likert rating scale. The results have led to the exploration of social/interactive components along with their sub-variables including (participation, educability, naturalism, group interactions, explorability, and yard rotation), environmental factors (sunlight, materials, safety, arrange, personalization, temperature, and seasonal changes), physical factors (form, proportions, shape, and dimensions), cognitive component (marking and color), managerial factor (yard diversity, supervision, density, and accessibility) and behavioral components (familiarity, flexibility, and ergonomic). Taking into account the factors and variables involved in the physical activity of students in the schoolyard will provide an environment that encourages children’s motor behavior.