Teachers use of the classroom environment through enhanced environmental awareness

Teachers use of the classroom environment through enhanced environmental

awareness

Dr Sandra Horne Martin

University of Central [email protected]

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”.


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


Before the training

• Hierarchy of designability• Lesson profiles• Cluster columns• Teaching styles• Flexibility factor• Mobility factor• Density• Degree of centredness• Layout classification


The Tool

¥1 ¥16

¥18

¥4 ¥7 ¥12 ¥21 ¥23 ¥24 ¥25 ¥26 ¥27 ¥28 ¥29 ¥30 ¥31 ¥32 ¥33 ¥34 ¥35 ¥37

¥38 ¥39 ¥40 ¥41 ¥42

¥2 ¥3 ¥5 ¥8 ¥10 ¥9 ¥19 ¥36

¥13¥15 ¥20 ¥6 ¥11 ¥17 ¥22 ¥14

teacher's table

whiteboard

blackboard

filing cabinet

trolleylow filing cabinet

storage

1S4T Lesson profile

0123

45

10:5

7

11:0

0

11:0

211

:06

11:1

0

11:1

4

11:1

8

11:2

2

11:2

5

11:2

7

11:2

9

11:3

1

11:3

5

11:3

7

11:4

011

:44

11:4

6

11:4

8

11:5

0

11:5

3

11:5

5

time

focu

s

1S4T Cluster column

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

4T

Teacher Dominated profile

Teacher Centred pedagogy

Teacher teaching cluster 79%Flexibility factor 99%Mobility factor 20%

Degree of centredness 55%

Teacher centre


The Tool

¥19

¥33 ¥36

¥16 ¥48

¥35

¥40 ¥44 ¥45 ¥47

¥1 ¥15 ¥21 ¥29 ¥32

¥15

¥18 ¥2 ¥17 ¥34

¥3 ¥4 ¥5 ¥6 ¥23 ¥24 ¥25 ¥26 ¥27 ¥28 ¥30 ¥37 ¥38 ¥39

¥41 ¥42 ¥43

¥22 ¥11¥12 ¥13 ¥14

¥10 ¥46

¥20 ¥7 ¥8 ¥9

¥31

t owar ds com m on ar ea

st or age

st or agest or age

sink

st or age

st or age

book t r olley

easel

t able

easel

t eacher 's t able

com put er

book t r olley

t able

easy chair

easy chairbox book t r olley

whit eboar d

easel

2S10T Lesson profile

0

1

2

3

4

5

9:00

9:10

9:20

9:29

9:35

9:38

9:40

9:42

9:44

9:46

9:48

9:50

9:55

9:59

10:0

3

10:0

7

10:0

9

10:1

2

10:1

6

10:1

8

10:2

1

10:2

3

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7

10:3

0

time

focu

s

2S10T cluster column

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

10

T

10T

Teacher Initiated Iterative profile

Teacher teaching cluster 40%Pupils on task 23%

Transition 21%Flexibility factor 87%Mobility factor 28%

Degree of centredness 35%

Teacher centre

Balanced pedagogy


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.


Training workshop

What is environment-behaviour?

Principles of environmental awareness

Difference between environmental awareness and competence


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


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


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


After the training

Observations after training workshop to evaluate impact in the classroom.


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


Initial results

Using strategies discussed during the training in the classroom – for instance change of activity, change of layout with the collaboration from pupils.


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.


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.


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 [email protected]

Documents

Teachers use of the classroom environment through enhanced environmental awareness