Teachers use of the classroom environment through enhanced environmental awareness Dr Sandra Horne Martin University of Central England

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Aims and Objectives  Develop a pilot study to create the basic structure for a future larger scale research project in environmental awareness and competence.  Develop strategies for teachers in order to increase their environmental awareness.  Help teachers become more critical and autonomous in their control over the setting of their existing work spaces.  Develop in teachers the appropriate terminology to feedback their needs to architects, designers or planners.  Validate the thesis that “environmental awareness raising has an impact on the design and use of the space”.

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 The Sample  Secondary inner city mainstream school  5 teachers: 2 Geography, 1 Science, 1 Food Technology, 1 Languages  45 lessons observed (before and after) – behavioural mapping techniques  Environmental awareness training 2 day workshop  Semi structured interviews

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Before the training Hierarchy of designability Lesson profiles Cluster columns Teaching styles Flexibility factor Mobility factor Density Degree of centredness Layout classification

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 The Tool

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 The Tool

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Initial impressions ‘before’  Same behaviour found as previous research (Horne, 1999, Horne-Martin2002) Rooms have a much higher possibility of change than that which is perceived by teachers Teacher’s mobility increases with the density of the room There seems to be clear relationships between teachers’ teaching style and their use of classroom environments and their sense of control over these environments.

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Training workshop  What is environment- behaviour?  Principles of environmental awareness  Difference between environmental awareness and competence

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Training workshop  Awareness involves understanding the behaviour related effect that a built environment has on its users  Competence involves responding to the knowledge of awareness  Requires that users take deliberate control of their setting

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Training workshop  Classroom is no more than an enabling factor of effectiveness  It does not create the ideal  But enables/disables teacher  The ultimate success depends on what the teacher does with the room

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Training workshop  Thinking about the classroom  Perception of flexibility in the room  Inventory the room Good/bad/what could be done?  Planning a lesson with the room in mind  Observation and thinking Different layouts Circulation and pathways

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 After the training  Observations after training workshop to evaluate impact in the classroom.

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Initial results  Indication of clear impact of the training on teachers’ attitudes  4 out of 5 teachers experimented on different organisations in the classroom.  All teachers in this study started taking into consideration the link between planning x environment Integrating technology available in the classroom not used prior to workshop

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Initial results  Using strategies discussed during the training in the classroom – for instance change of activity, change of layout with the collaboration from pupils.

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Teachers’ quotes The benefits of environmental awareness is ongoing and will be used each lesson, term and year. We have thought very much more about our space, the quantity and quality of areas I had not come up with quite astound me. Making all the staff more aware of space planning would help with teaching, learning and behaviour.

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Teachers quotes Has opened my eyes to the real possibilities of totally changing the layout of my classroom with different groups. I am excited about trying all this stuff out. Challenging me to take my classroom environment in mind and trying to make changes to improve the learning experience of the pupils was what I needed. Pupils behaviour is directly influenced by their surroundings and behaviour management forms the basis for classroom organisation, seating plans, movement and distribution of resources.

IAPS 18 UCE - British Academy 7-10 July 2004 Implications and future  Clear indications that environmental awareness training has a direct impact on teachers’ attitudes towards their classroom settings.  Pilot study will hopefully lead to a larger study.  Enough evidence gathered to propose training programmes to schools and Local Educational Authorities.  Environmental awareness and competence should be part of the curriculum of initial teacher training

Thanks for listening Dr Sandra Horne Martin