International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

Presenting a conceptual model in architectural design education, considering the effective factors of activism

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mahsa Babapour 1
Parisa Alimohammadi 2
Mehrdad Matin 3
1 PhD researcher in Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tehran Central Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tehran Central Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tehran Central Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/ijumes.2025.2047914.1281
Abstract
Activism, as a fundamental concept in various disciplines, particularly architecture, refers to designers’ sensitivity to social, political, economic, and environmental conditions. This awareness encourages designers to focus more on these elements in their design processes. Nevertheless, a primary challenge in architectural education is the ineffective transmission of activism-related concepts to students. In many curricula, discussions on activism are often unproductive and oversimplified.This research is divided into two main sections. The first section examines key resources in architectural education and activism, analyzing the perspectives of influential thinkers. The second section presents a conceptual model developed through data collection from experts, aimed at enhancing the educational process in architectural design. This model seeks to identify and strengthen factors crucial for teaching activism.It is anticipated that the findings will contribute to optimizing university curricula. Finally, suggestions for future research on activism in architectural education will be proposed.

Graphical Abstract

Presenting a conceptual model in architectural design education, considering the effective factors of activism

Highlights

  • Forty activism-related factors in architectural education were identified and classified into four categories: individual, social, educational system, and infrastructure
  • Top-rated factors by experts included:
    • Interdisciplinary studies (Q18)
    • Understanding social phenomena (Q38)
    • Understanding cultural phenomena (Q37)
      (All with average scores above 4.6)
  • Strongest correlation was found between active design strategies (Q11) and interdisciplinary studies (Q18), with a Pearson correlation of 0.812, indicating their combined importance in model design.
  • Most influential factors in teaching activism (based on regression analysis) were:
    • Creating a sense of experience (Q14)
    • Questioning skills (Q2)
    • Performance evaluation (Q16)
    • Creative learning environment (Q31)
    • Role of studio space (Q33)
      These became the core variables of the final conceptual model.

Keywords
Activism
architectural education
architectural design
conceptual model
influential factors
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  • Receive Date 10 December 2024
  • Revise Date 31 May 2025
  • Accept Date 02 July 2025