Toward inclusive architectural studio pedagogy: a conceptual mapping of salama’s models and master–apprentice practices onto MBTI-informed learning preferences

Design studios constitute the core pedagogical environment of architecture and interior architecture education; however, prevailing studio models insufficiently address the combined sensory and cognitive diversity of deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students. Prior research has rarely examined how studio pedagogy in architecture and interior architecture programs can be systematically adapted to differences in communication access, critique interaction, and learner preference profiles within inclusive studio settings. This study proposes a conceptual framework for inclusive design studio pedagogy by mapping Ashraf Salama’s studio models and the master–apprentice teaching approach onto MBTI-informed learning preferences. The research adopts a qualitative, interpretivist approach grounded in multi-source evidence, including document analysis, longitudinal studio-based observations conducted over eight consecutive semesters in architecture and interior architecture design studios, and semi-structured interviews. MBTI profiling is employed descriptively—not as a learning styles model—to support the construction of a comparative pedagogical matrix linking learner preferences, instructional interaction patterns, and studio model characteristics. The findings indicate that Participatory, Pattern Language, and Master–Apprentice–oriented studio models demonstrate the highest conceptual alignment with the communicative and engagement needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, particularly in relation to feedback modalities, critique structure, and assessment communication practices, and collaborative learning dynamics. By synthesizing pedagogical theory with sustained studio practice, this study contributes a practice-informed conceptual mapping that supports inclusive design studio instruction and offers transferable insights for educators in architecture and interior architecture working in mixed deaf–hearing learning environments.