•  
  •  
 

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Spatial thinking constitutes a core cognitive ability in early architectural design education, enabling students to interpret, organize, and transform spatial relationships into coherent architectural configurations. Despite its importance, studio practice often indicates that first-year students rely on surface-level representation rather than engaging in structured spatial reasoning, which leads to fragmented compositions and weak spatial coherence. Accordingly, this study investigates the following research question: To what extent can guided mind mapping support the development of spatial thinking in early architectural design studios? A quasi-experimental design was adopted to examine the impact of structured visual–cognitive guidance on students' spatial reasoning. The study involved two groups of first-year architecture students: an experimental group trained using guided mind mapping (n = 133) and a control group receiving conventional studio instruction (n = 127). Students' performance was evaluated through a house design task using standardized descriptive–quantitative assessment rubrics, and statistical analysis was conducted using paired-samples and independent-samples t-tests at a significance level of α = 0.05. The results reveal a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group (Sig. = 0.000), with mean scores increasing from 26.761 in the pretest to 89.445 in the posttest, whereas the control group demonstrated a limited and non-significant improvement (Sig. = 0.089). Although posttest differences between the two groups did not reach statistical significance (Sig. = 0.068), qualitative analysis indicates that the experimental group achieved higher levels of spatial coherence, clearer organization of spatial relationships, and stronger integration between form and function. The findings confirm that guided mind mapping operates as a cognitive mediator that supports the transition from spatial perception to structured spatial reasoning. It enhances students' ability to regulate spatial transformations and contributes to the production of more coherent and conceptually grounded architectural design outcomes in early design education.

Keywords

Architectural education, Spatial thinking, Mind mapping, Design cognition, Visual–cognitive frameworks, Design studio

Download

Share

COinS