Abstract
Recent studies document the importance of well-designed facilities on the academic
performance of students in language and mathematics, but there is very
little research on how space dictates what is learned and how it is learned. What
about learning that is not directly measurable by standardized test scores? How
does architectural space affect what is learned in the “non-core” disciplines such
as music, drama, dance, and the visual arts? How does the built environment
affect the ways that teachers and students operate in what might be viewed as a
learning collective? These are some of the central questions addressed in the present
paper. These issues are first explored through a brief discussion of the main themes
in school architecture research and discourse, followed by a description of how
Froebel kindergartens, Reggio Emilia schools, and Waldorf schools have given attention
to some of the physical elements that affect learning. Next, I explore engaging
forms of adult learning and the perspectives of John Dewey. Then follows a
discussion of the ways that classrooms and schools can be seen as collectives, using
complexity science theory as a theoretical framework. Finally, the complexity science
model is extended by including the actual physical spaces as important ‘agents’
in influencing a non-linear and dynamic system, and by drawing implications for
school design based on the principles of complexity.
Users
Please
log in to take part in the discussion (add own reviews or comments).