Instructors' perspectives on the pedagogy of architectural graduation projects: A qualitative study

Abstract

In architectural education, graduation projects represent the transition from academia to the profession, and they are the courses that encourage architecture students to demonstrate the knowledge acquired and the skills developed throughout the educational program. This study aims to explore the instructors’ perspectives on improving the pedagogy of architectural graduation projects. To achieve this aim, this study has adopted a qualitative method, applied analytical and deductive methodologies, and conducted a survey among 44 academic architects from architectural schools worldwide. This paper is structured into three sections. The first section provides an overview of the topic and its current related issues. The second section introduces the survey, its methods, tools, and procedures, and the participants’ profiles. The third section presents the qualitative survey findings and their discussion. The conclusions of this study confirm the results of some previous studies. Some conclusions contradict common practices related to graduation projects, but the original approaches have been provided. The importance of this study inherits the relevance of adopting these courses; that is, for educators and employers to assess the extent to which graduates have acquired the competence necessary to practice architecture.

Key words： Architectural education; Design education; Graduation projects; Enrollment criteria; Teaching techniques; Evaluation methods