Teachers use of the classroom environment through enhanced environmental awareness

1. Teachers use of the classroom environment through enhanced environmental awareness Dr Sandra Horne Martin University of Central England sandra.martin@uce.ac.uk

2. 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”. UCE - British Academy

3. 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 UCE - British Academy

4. Before the training • Hierarchy of designability • Lesson profiles • Cluster columns • Teaching styles • Flexibility factor • Mobility factor • Density • Degree of centredness • Layout classification UCE - British Academy

5. The Tool UCE - British Academy

6. The Tool UCE - British Academy

7. 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. UCE - British Academy

8. Training workshop • What is environment-behaviour? • Principles of environmental awareness • Difference between environmental awareness and competence UCE - British Academy

9. 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 UCE - British Academy

10. 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 UCE - British Academy

11. 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 UCE - British Academy

12. After the training • Observations after training workshop to evaluate impact in the classroom. UCE - British Academy

13. 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 UCE - British Academy

14. Initial results • Using strategies discussed during the training in the classroom – for instance change of activity, change of layout with the collaboration from pupils. UCE - British Academy

15. 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. UCE - British Academy

16. 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. UCE - British Academy

17. 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 UCE - British Academy

18. Thanks for listening Dr Sandra Horne Martin sandra.martin@uce.ac.uk