Theoretical foundations of children’s Emotional Intelligence (EI) and its relationship with the architecture of public kindergartens in Ho Chi Minh City

Tóm tắt

Development, shaping children's learning, behavior, and social interactions. This paper establishes a theoretical framework linking preschool children's EI with kindergarten architectural design. In response to the growing emphasis on holistic education in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the study synthesizes key EI theories (Mayer & Salovey; Goleman) and educational architecture principles. The proposed framework suggests that the physical environment of public kindergartens - including spatial layout, landscape, color, natural lighting, and functional spaces - can directly and indirectly influence four core EI components: Perceiving, Understanding, Managing, and Using Emotions. Based on these findings, the paper provides theoretical guidance for designing and renovating kindergarten environments that better support children's emotional development. The proposed framework contributes to integrating educational psychology and architectural design, thereby promoting higher-quality, child-centered early childhood education.