Abstract

This descriptive, non-experimental study adopted a mixed-method approach to determine the impact of physical design features in secret spaces’ functionality as an indicator of early childhood socio-emotional development. The primary data-gathering technique for this study was focus group. Through qualitative coding analysis of the focus groups with early childhood educators and professionals and Pairwise PCC (Pearson Correlation Coefficient) of findings, the study’s results illustrated that the most critical design features and functions of the secret space are enabling young children to have control over the environment, feel safe and private, and maintain supervision and access for teachers and caregivers. The findings indicated that the physical design features contributing to identifying and functionality of the secret space are flexibility, structure, control, and affordances. In conclusion, the study found a significant impact of these design features on secret spaces, with discussion aligned with existing literature on early childhood development and environmental psychology, highlighting implications for educators, designers, and policymakers in creating inclusive and supportive outdoor environments.