Class observation is a main instrument for understanding teaching and learning processes in schools when the results of observations are analysed and reflected based on the theory of teaching and learning (cf. Helmke 2012; Meyer 2010). In particular, to understand the relationship between pedagogical activity and architectural space design, these questions need to be considered: - How do teachers use space for teaching? (cf. Stadler-Altmann 2016, 2019) - How do pupils use their rooms for learning? (see Woolner & Stadler-Altmann 2021; Stadler-Altmann 2015) The tool Cartographic Observation can be used to graphically illustrate lesson observations. This allows the movement patterns of teachers and students to become visible. At the same time, the interactions between teachers and students are recorded to document what happened in class. This combination provides a different view of classroom activities and is therefore of interest to both educational scientists and architectural designers. In our presentation we will introduce Cartographic Observation (Horne Martin 2002) as a research tool and explain how this tool was used in the CoReD research project. Therefore, we will use case studies from Italy and Portugal. The case studies have been conducted in pre-schools on the one hand and in basic schools on the other. Consequently, in addition to the international comparison, an analysis can also be made between the tool’s use in different educational institutions and respective pedagogical contexts. Additionally, results can also conclude on the tool’s ability to be implemented with lessons from different subjects, and with students from a wide age range. By comparing the tool’s use and outcomes in these case studies, we can show the benefits of the instrument. We will also describe possible applications in pedagogical practice and open further research perspectives on the basis of our research results. The comparison of the analyses from the perspective of educational science and architecture is particularly attractive.

Helmke, A. (2012), Unterrichtsqualität und Lehrerprofessionalität. Diagnose, Evaluation und Verbesserung des Unterrichts. 4. Aufl., Seelze: Kallmeyer. Horne Martin, S. (2002) ‘The classroom environment and its effects on the practice of teachers’, Journal of Environmental Psychology 22: 139-156. Meyer, H. (2026), Was ist guter Unterricht? 15. Aufl., Berlin: Cornelsen Stadler-Altmann, U. (2019), Pedagogical Research in regard to School Design Processes. A fragmentary overview developing pedagogical inspired principles for both planning and designing school buildings, in: Weyland, B.; Stadler-Altmann, U.; Galletti, A.; Prey, K., SCUOLE IN MOVIMENTO. Progettare insieme tra pedagogia, architettura e design, Franco Angeli Open Access, pp. 14-23. Stadler-Altmann, U. (2016) (Hrsg.), Lernumgebungen. Erziehungswissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf Schulgebäude und Klassenzimmer [Learning Environments. Educational perspectives on school buildings and classrooms – bilingual publication], Opladen, Berlin, Toronto: Barbara Budrich. Stadler-Altmann, U. (2015), The Influence of School and Classroom Space on Education, in: C. Rubie-Davies, J. M. Stephens, & P. Watson (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Social Psychology of the Classroom, London: Routledge, p. 252-262. Woolner, P.; Stadler-Altmann, U. (2021), Openness – Flexibility – Transition. Nordic prospects for changes in the school learning environment, in: Education Inquiry. DOI 10.1080/20004508.2021.1957331