A humanistic approach to educational planning: Understanding user needs in elementary school buildings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Since universal education was adopted in Saudi Arabia in 1932, the Ministry of Education has been challenged to build new facilities while replacing rented and deteriorated ones for its rapidly expanding population. The sudden increase in oil revenues in the early 1970s enabled construction of massive numbers of schools, however little emphasis was placed on providing a stimulating learning environment, or on meeting specific programmatic and climatic needs. As a contribution towards improving building efficiency as well as user satisfaction, this study combines quantitative and qualitative methods to document the physical and psychological needs of students, teachers, and principals; and to recognize the bureaucratic obstacles encountered by policy makers, architects, and other educational officials. A questionnaire survey of one-third of the elementary school principals in Riyadh, preceded by a pilot study of three standardized models built in different eras, yielded the availability and condition of buildings, outdoor areas, furnishings; and the principals' general satisfaction with the latter. Subsequently an indepth qualitative study was conducted involving four elementary schools representing the typical public schools in the city. Study participants included children, teachers, and principals who were interviewed and observed using their buildings over a three-month period. This investigation revealed a number of themes including classroom overcrowding and lack of equipment, poor mechanical services, inadequate play areas, lack of communal spaces as well as substandard construction leading to costly maintenance problems. Finally school planners, architects, and maintenance officials were interviewed who pointed out severe shortages in labor and tools, budgetary constraints, overwork, lack of experienced supervisors, and pressures to meet construction schedules. Recommendations call for improved comprehensive planning of facilities involving coordination with all development agencies, increased support for construction and maintenance supervisors, involvement of local consultants, and participation of users in specifying buildings that are suited to local conditions and anticipate future needs. Future research should investigate the relationship between student performance, pedagogy, and building design in Saudi Arabia; innovative methods of user-involvement; new standardized components and construction techniques as well as ways to improve communication among all agencies involved in education.