A geographical analysis of the relationship between housing and the academic level of high school students in the Taj Al-Din district

This study aims to measure the impact of housing quality on academic achievement and to highlight spatial disparities. It begins with the premise that the residential environment, including its service, material, and location characteristics, significantly influences students' educational attainment. Therefore, studying the educational and spatial realities of secondary schools in the Taj Al-Din district is a pressing necessity dictated by the existing geographical and service-related challenges. The district is experiencing rapid demographic growth and horizontal urban expansion, which has not been accompanied by a parallel development in school buildings. This has led to clear indicators of dysfunction, including increased classroom overcrowding (exceeding the standard class density) and the need to implement double-shift schooling. Furthermore, there is a sharp geo-service disparity between the district center (urban) and its outlying areas and villages (rural). Students in these rural areas suffer from the wide geographical impact and travel distances and times that exceed the officially approved planning standards (1500-2000 meters). This causes physical and financial strain on students and contributes to increased dropout rates. Therefore, a precise geographical assessment is necessary to develop a planning vision that achieves spatial equity in the distribution of educational services within the district. The study employed a descriptive-analytical approach to describe the characteristics of the residential environment and analyze the reality of secondary education. It also utilized a quantitative approach, employing appropriate statistical methods to reveal the strength of the relationship between the study variables. Furthermore, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques were utilized to represent the spatial distribution of residences and secondary schools and to analyze patterns of spatial variation in educational attainment among different residential neighborhoods. The SPSS software was also used to analyze the field data and test the study's scientific hypotheses. The study found a correlation between the quality of the residential environment and students' academic achievement. The results showed that students living in neighborhoods with better services and more stable housing achieved higher academic levels compared to students living in neighborhoods with lower quality services and housing infrastructure. The study also indicated that distance between home and school, high occupancy rates within homes, and a poor home learning environment are among the factors contributing to lower academic performance among some students. The study's significance lies in its provision of a comprehensive geographical overview of the relationship between the residential environment and academic achievement. This overview can contribute to supporting urban and educational planning and guiding local policies toward improving the residential environment in a way that serves the educational process in the Taj Al-Din district.