School Physical Environment and Personality Development with Emphasis on Speech Competence in Early Childhood Education: A Public–Private Comparison in Pakistan

Abstract

The quality of school physical environments constitutes a critical yet underexplored determinant of early personality formation and communication competence in developing educational contexts. Although Early Childhood Education (ECE) has gained policy attention in Pakistan, empirical evidence comparing structural learning environments and developmental outcomes across public and private sectors remains limited. Grounded in ecological systems and sociocultural theory, this study examines the relationship between school physical environments and personality development, with particular emphasis on speech competence, within a public–private comparative framework. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, data were collected from 320 Early Childhood Education institutions (200 public; 120 private) in District Karak, Pakistan. A structured instrument assessed physical environment provisions and multidimensional personality development indicators. Sectoral differences were analysed using chi-square tests, and associations between constructs were examined through cross-tabulation analyses. Results indicate no statistically significant overall sectoral differences in physical environment implementation (p = .156) or personality development indicators (p = .187), despite item-level structural disparities. Crucially, a significant association was identified between the quality of school physical environments and personality development outcomes (p < .001), suggesting that supportive structural settings are positively linked to emotional, social, cognitive, and communication-related growth in early childhood. By integrating environmental and developmental constructs within a comparative sectoral model, this study advances understanding of how institutional learning conditions shape holistic child development in emerging education systems. The findings underscore the need to move beyond policy compliance toward structurally enriched, interaction-focused ECE environments.

Keywords: Early Childhood Education; Physical Learning Environment; Personality Development; Communication Competence; Public–Private Comparison; Pakistan.