Spatial Behavior and Academic Performance Among Architecture Students: A Gender-Based Comparative Study

Educational buildings are characterized by daily movement and continuous interaction between formal and informal learning spaces. Understanding how students navigate and occupy these environments and how these experiences affect their academic performance is essential for developing responsive, human-centered architectural strategies. This research investigates spatial behavior, movement patterns, and physical classroom environments, and their relationship with academic achievement among students in the College of Architecture and Digital Design building at Dar Al-Uloom University. A mixed-methods approach is adopted, combining student surveys, movement mapping, and grade analysis. Movement mapping was used to document circulation patterns, spatial occupancy, and pause behavior across different periods of the academic day. In addition, academic performance categories, together with observed movement and space-use patterns, are used to contextualize spatial engagement. Additionally, an investigative comparative analysis is conducted across two campuses (male and female). The findings indicate that higher-performing students generally exhibit greater movement diversity and spatial engagement, with observable differences in spatial behavior between male and female students.