The learning environment of the 21st century: Expectations and reality

Abstract

Many school buildings have been constructed in Iceland over the past few decades due to regulations requiring more space for the pupils. The main aim of this study is to investigate the pedagogical assumptions underlying the design of four recent school buildings and how those assumptions have affected teaching practices. In Iceland, as in many other countries, school buildings have been influenced by social and educational needs. Design decisions of architects have been impacted by consultations with different educational specialists for each building site, reflecting different pedagogical ideas at each school institute. Results from a recent Icelandic study indicated a shift in the design of educational buildings. Clusters of classrooms or open spaces, transparent or movable boundaries and public spaces allowing for manifold interactions in flexible groups seemed to have replaced traditional classrooms and confined corridors. It has become a common process to involve many community members when designing a school. In this study, a close look is taken at four school buildings that were designed and opened for use in the 21st century. Two main research questions lead this investigation; what pedagogical ideas underpinned the design process in four schools and how well did they work during the first year in the new building. The four schools were chosen out of a sample of twenty schools from a large scale study on teaching and learning in primary and lower secondary schools, entitled Starfshættir í grunnskólum. This study relies partly on the same sample and partly on the same database. Data was collected specifically for this study through interviews with participants in the design process for each of the four schools; the principal, the architect of the building and a representative from the local educational office. An electronic questionnaire was carried out among all teachers in all twenty schools and classroom observations were conducted in all twenty schools. The interview data was analysed qualitatively for the four schools participating in this study, and quantitative comparisons were made between each of the four schools and the other nineteen in the sample, based on the survey data. Results confirmed findings from previous studies, suggesting a paradigm shift in school buildings as educational authorities and stakeholders emphasised open approach and flexible learning environments that suited diverse and individualised schoolwork. A variety of different stakeholders participated in the design process in three of the four schools. It is, however, obvious that in those four schools, teachers and leaders struggled as they tried to implement new practices in the new building. Individualised learning, one of the main aims among those who participated in the design process, was not enhanced in any of these four schools when compared to the other nineteen schools in the sample. The teachers generally agreed that there was good morale in the school in which they worked, discussion was open and there was strong emphasis on cooperation amongst staff members. Teacher collaboration, another aim of the design, measured stronger in two of the schools compared to the average in all twenty schools. Team teaching appeared to be more common in the open schools than in the cluster schools. Doors and movable boundaries between classrooms in cluster schools were meant to increase flexibility and team teaching, but in all of the observed lessons these doors/walls were closed. The teachers in the clusters, however, expressed more satisfaction with the physical environment than in open schools. In none of the four schools, did the teachers consider this new learning environment more suitable for the teaching methods they preferred to use than teachers who taught in alternative accommodation. These findings raise the question of whether or not teachers have received adequate instructions, training and support to take advantage of these “new” work environments.