Abstract
Statement of the Problem

In recent decades, fostering high-level cognitive skills—including learning self-leadership, self-regulation, and executive functions—has become a primary goal in educational systems. However, many primary schools still rely on traditional design models that view space merely as a physical shell for education, ignoring its role in regulating children’s cognitive and emotional processes. This approach has created a gap between findings in environmental neuroscience and current educational space design practices.

Research Objective

This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework based on environmental neuroscience to explain the role of educational architecture in activating children’s cognitive agency and to propose an integrated model for primary school design.

Research Method

This applied study adopted a qualitative approach, utilizing a systematic literature review and conceptual analysis across three domains: environmental neuroscience, self-determination and self-regulation theories, and flexible learning spaces. Based on the extracted concepts, the “Cognitive Agency Supporting Architecture” model was developed across three layers: sensory-neural regulation, behavioral-spatial provisions, and metacognitive scaffolding. Finally, the proposed framework was evaluated and validated by 18 experts in educational architecture, environmental neuroscience, and educational psychology.

Conclusion

The findings resulted in a model that posits the activation of children’s cognitive agency as the outcome of the interaction between three complementary layers: sensory-neural regulation (L1), behavioral-spatial provisions (L2), and metacognitive scaffolding (L3). The experts’ validation confirmed the model’s conceptual coherence, content validity, and applicability in primary school design. The study’s innovation lies in presenting and validating an interdisciplinary framework that translates concepts from neuroscience and learning psychology into operational architectural indices, facilitating their application in the design, analysis, and evaluation of primary school learning environments.