This study contributes to research on learning environments and their design by answering the question: How do upper secondary science teachers perceive the affordances and constraints for teaching and learning provided by a new science education building? (Gibson, 1979; Young & Cleveland, 2022)

Data was collected during pedagogical walk-throughs (Frelin et al., 2022; Sigurðardóttir et al., 2021) with two groups of science teachers, right before they moved into the new building. The walk-throughs were made in classrooms and transitional spaces, e.g. corridors and a cafeteria, which may also provide innovative opportunities for student learning (Boys et al. 2014). Data consisted of photos and plans of the spaces, teachers’ individual walk-through protocols and audio recordings of teacher utterances.

The analyses were supported by Ravelli and McMurtrie's (2016) multimodal theory of the built environment, focusing on representational, interactional and organisational meaning. The analytic focus was on how the teachers saw the presence of, and interaction among, different elements of the physical environment to afford or constrain the teaching and learning of science. 

Preliminary results: Representationally, classrooms, desks and storage opportunities were generally found well suited for teaching science although blackout curtains were insufficient for some teaching needs in physics, and teachers would not always have space to help all students. Interactionally, the building was perceived as welcoming with a light atmosphere. A traditional hierarchical structure with faculty offices on the locked top floor created a social distance between teachers and students, which was partly mitigated by teachers using standing tables in the student cafeteria. Organisationally, the lockers, staircase, classroom doors and the cafeteria, usually found in a school building, together with large windows both towards the outside and to breakout spaces, helped achieve cohesion within the building.

References

Boys, J., Wilson, A., & Melhuish, C. (2014). Developing Research Methods for Analyzing Learning Spaces That Can Inform Institutional Missions of Learning and Engagement. Society of College and University Planners (SCUP)

Frelin, A., Grannäs, J., Sundholm, M., and Van de Meulebrouck, T. (2022). Pedagogisk utvärdering av skolmiljöer. Gåturer i fyra skolbyggnader i Stockholms stad. Gävle University Press. Retrieved from http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-40336

Gibson, J. J. (1979). The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Houghton Mifflin.

This study aims to develop a theoretical framework for flexibility in Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) based on teachers’ experiences in two newly built Swedish schools. Flexibility is examined across time, space, use, and movement through semi-structured interviews. Findings highlight how these categories interact to create both opportunities and challenges. Extending Woodman’s (2016) framework with curriculum theory, the study reveals that while ILEs support varied teaching methods and groupings, practical barriers like rigid schedules and shared spaces impede flexibility. These insights deepen understanding of the complex nature of teaching in flexible spaces. The research contributes to the theoretical discourse by highlighting the practical challenges teachers face and informing ILE design and professional development. The findings indicate that fostering adaptability requires attention not just to spatial elements, but also to structural and organizational dimensions. These considerations have implications for creating and sustaining truly flexible learning environments.

This paper explores the use of participatory methods prior to designing interventions within a research project at a primary school in central Sweden. The approach presented in the paper is based on the principles of participatory design (PD), to enhance the use of these methods within the areas of educational research (ER), lighting, and architecture. This approach aims to include participants of educational spaces and incorporate their views prior to design interventions. Two workshops were designed to support teachers' participation through hands-on activities. Twenty-eight teachers participated in the workshops. Scale models corresponding to two of the school's classrooms were used to initiate discussions regarding the interconnection between spatial layouts, lighting, and learning activities. The workshops' data collection analysis assisted the research group in understanding the school's spatial and learning characteristics. The information gathered from the workshops provided additional knowledge and informed the research project in a way that allowed for further development and changes within the project related to the additional variables measured along with light. According to the analysis, there is a correlation between the activity and the desired layout of the space, while the type of equipment also varies according to the task. 

Research over the past two decades has made clear the importance of physical space and material resources to education, as well as the need for educators to take control of these pedagogical tools. Methods and approaches have been developed to enable them to do this. In parallel, digital devices have, in many countries, become as commonplace in schools as they are in higher education, but it is far from clear how they are being used within schools, or understood by teachers. This chapter explores this postdigital school landscape. We take as our focus compulsory schools, serving children and young people from 6 to 16, in Sweden, a digitally mature and prosperous country where we can consider what is available, the nature of current practices and uses, and the possibilities for development. It is evident that schools and schooling consist of the digital entangled with the human and the physical. Recognising that alignment of the design and use of educational space is key to its success, and that practitioners’ own knowledge of a setting is considerable, teacher involvement in planning is key. Therefore, we consider collaborative approaches to developing and sharing knowledge of using school spaces and conclude with reflections on the possibilities for just and equitable postdigital educational innovation.

Skolbyggnader utgör betydande investeringar för samhället och ska vara hållbara under lång tid. Dessa lärmiljöer behöver utformas så att de understödjer och främjar de pedagogiska idéer som ligger till grund för verksamheten som ska bedrivas i lokalerna. 

Denna skrift redovisar en forskningsstudie som Högskolan i Gävle genomfört med finansiering av FoU-fonden för kommunernas fastighetsfrågor. Syftet med forskningsstudien är att lyfta fram erfarenheter från två skolors processer att utforma och använda lärmiljöer som stödjer skolornas pedagogiska idé, organisation och arbetssätt. 

Målgrupper för skriften är alla professioner som är involverade i att planera, bygga och använda lärmiljöer. 

Skolbyggandet i Stockholms stad är och kommer att vara omfattande, och nya skolor byggs på annorlunda sätt för att möta morgondagens pedagogik, med annan konfiguration av rum och krav på flexibilitet men också kostnadseffektivitet. När nya krav ställs på såväl lärmiljöer som användare krävs ny kunskap om hur de nya lärmiljöerna fungerar, och syftet har varit att bli bättre beställare och utveckla systematisk erfarenhetsåterföring. Rapporten inleds med en kort forskningsgenomgång och presentation av skolorna.

Pedagogiska gåturer genomfördes med främst pedagogisk personal och elever i fyra nybyggda skolor för att undersöka deras erfarenheter. Fokus har legat på den fysiska miljön och dess styrkor och svagheter i relation till verksamheten med dess pedagogiska och sociala aspekter. Fyra tidigare identifierade viktiga platser har undersökts: hemvister, entréer, matsalar och idrottssalar. Totalt genomfördes tolv gåturer där totalt 51 vuxna och 31 elever deltog. Gåturerna tog ca två timmar och deltagarna fick först individuellt bedöma lokalerna utifrån möjliga aktiviteter, positiva och negativa intryck samt förslag till förbättringar. Dessa delades sedan med gruppen och samtalen spelades in.

Analyserna var informerade av tidigare studier och av syftet, och utsagorna delades in i sex teman: flexibilitet, flöden, inredning, ljudmiljö, social miljö samt visuell miljö. I samtliga teman framkom viktiga styrkor och svagheter gällande den fysiska lärmiljön samt förutsättningar för att miljön ska fungera bra. Diskussions- och slutsatsdelen innehåller även förslag till frågor att ställa sig inför nya projekt. Rapporten avslutas med förslag till vidare läsning.

Teaching in new kinds of learning environments could prove challenging, and a successful transition is facilitated by user involvement. This article reports results from the planning and rebuilding phase of a multi-zone flexible learning environment. On two occasions, one virtual and one on-site walk-through, two groups of secondary school teachers conducted pre-occupancy evaluations, indicating possibilities, challenges and activities in the four zones visited. Analyses of their perceptions of affordances, inspired by Gibson, indicated two kinds of material affordances: organisational and educational. Organisational affordances had a major influence on the kinds of educational activities that were described. Rather than coming up with new types of activities, it seemed as though their pre-occupation evaluation of the flexible learning environment made teachers consider new ways of organising the existing activities. An analytical model, TEALE, illustrating teachers’ evaluations of learning environments is introduced, and further research on organisational dimensions of learning environments is suggested.

Prior research shows that creating innovative learning spaces that work well for pupils and teachers is a challenge and implicates different stakeholders. The aim of this article is to inquire into how educational visions evolve and are expressed through the different phases of two school design processes; and visualise how stakeholders’ roles in the processes result in innovative learning environments and practices that work well. The data consists of photographs from school visits, briefs, and interviews. The material is analysed with a particular focus on educational vision, organisation and working methods. An analytical model showing the stakeholders’ levels of participation at each stage is revised and developed. The results indicate four common themes: Continuity – several stakeholders involved in more than one phase. Preparation – processes were long-term, continuous, and iterative, with future users testing and evaluating prototypes and other innovative interior design elements to be used in the new spaces. Alignment – early and extensive considerations of the school’s organisation and working methods. Participation – multi-professional teams with representation of a pedagogical perspective at the higher levels of participation. From this can be concluded that achieving robust innovative learning environments involves stakeholders’ regard to aspects of knowledge, education, organization and economy.