Session Information
27 SES 14 A, From Design to Practice in School Environments (Part 2)
Symposium continued from 27 SES 13 A
Contribution
As Higgins et al stresses the physical learning environment is a precondition for student centred teaching and learning. Even the discussion about learning environment between teachers, students and architects could start changes (cf. Stadler-Altmann, 2016). Hence, if open-plan learning environments support teaching and learning (cf. Blackmore et al, 2011), then design of school buildings changes educational practices. Following this hypotheses the new- and rebuilding process of schools and Kindergarten in South Tyrol could be an example for this. In this presentation, the focus of the principal in changing process is analysed. Based on an interview with the principal of one school department and combined with data from observation in schools and kindergarten of his department some general points could be outlined to show how the changing in design influences changing in educational practise. For this, the situation in South Tyrol have to take in consideration: A school principal in South Tyrol is head of more than one school. The chosen principal leads five primary schools (360 students and 67 teachers, most of them in part time) and one middle school (189 students and 29 teachers). He is also head of a school and kindergarten network with round about 67 primary schools and 21 middle schools. Since 2008 with the curricular reform in South Tyrol, all schools and kindergarten have to have an individual pedagogical concept. Based on the new curricular the principals are relatively free to arrange curricula and learning programs. Most of them used this opportunity to think fundamentally about their concepts about pedagogy, teaching and learning for children in the age from 2 to 6 (Kindergarten) and 6 to 12 (primary school). In this period, we could find a lot of teacher training in schools and kindergarten to improve and to develop modern teaching and modern learning, organised by the principals and/or the school administrative of South Tyrol. According to this, the changing in daily school and kindergarten routine was very small. In this process, some principals detected school buildings and kindergarten buildings as didactical spaces (see Watschinger et al, 2007). Their consideration was if they change the design of schools and kindergarten, they could influence the practise. How this changings worked in schools and Kindergarten in one school department is the focus of the presented case study.
References
Blackmore, J., Bateman, D., Loughlin, J., O’Mara, J. and Aranda, G. (2011) Research into the Connection between Built Learning Spaces and Student Outcomes, Literature Review, Paper No. 22, Melbourne, Australia. Higgins, S., Hall, E., Wall, K., Woolner, P. and McCaughey, C. (2005) The Impact of School Environments: A Literature Review, London: Design Council. Stadler-Altmann, U. (2016) (ed.), Lernumgebungen. Erziehungswissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf Schulgebäude und Klassenzimmer, Opladen, Berlin, Toronto: Barbara Budrich. Watschinger, J.; Kühebacher, J. (2007) (ed.), Schularchitektur und neue Lernkultur, Bern.
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