The focal subject of the study is the physical environment of the kindergarten. The author is  aware that the manifestation of the space, the materials at hand, and the didactic instruments employed are inextricably intertwined with the pedagogical approach adopted (be it Waldorf or Montessori kindergartens) and the prevailing socio-economic-political milieu (comprising demographics, GDP, regional wealth, and legal frameworks, among others).It is noteworthy that kindergartens situated in close proximity, ostensibly sharing analogous conditions, can exhibit stark disparities in their physical manifestation. Consequently, the focal point of this research is to explore how the individuals who spend the most time in that space – the children and the teachers – understand it. The present study examines the teachers' and children's understandings of kindergarten space.The research is currently being conducted in Poland, with the potential to extend it to other European countries and prepare a comparative study.

The research is based on the assumption, following Bruner and Vygotsky, that the educational environment is a source of children's experiences and reconstructions. It is argued that this environment has the capacity to nurture subjective activity, wherein children acquire experience and construct knowledge. Consequently, the organisation of the learning environment entails the creation of situations in which children engage in independent and collaborative investigation, experimentation, search, interpretation, creation, perception, problem-solving, and tool usage. For instance, the Reggio Emilia Approach (Malaguzzi) emphasises the impact of the environment naming it as a third teacher. The physical environment is also a significant component of the pedagogical approach in Montessori and Freinet.

A substantial body of research has been dedicated to the educational environment, with a predominant focus on the pedagogical environment (although the pedagogical and physical environments are intertwined and complementary). 

Research focusing on physical elements is most often concerned with the means of education designed to facilitate learning, which are usually specified in the curriculum or in documents examining quality. For instance, the Polish Core Curriculum states that it is desirable to organise permanent and temporary interest corners. The following areas are proposed as permanent: reading, construction, art and nature. However, an analysis of children's actions reveals that they frequently diverge from planned activities, attributing new meanings and functions to objects. For instance, blocks and small items are employed in culinary activities, while books serve as building blocks.The diversity in the interpretations of objects devoid of a specific purpose, such as sticks and trees. This aligns with the concept of kindergarten as a more authentic form of childhood, distinct from the conventional preschool curriculum, which is often perceived as a preparatory phase for school.

Latour's concept of reciprocal relationships between things/objects that simultaneously produce, determine, allow, enable, encourage, consent, suggest, influence and enable is of particular interest.

Physicality is a very important pedagogical aspect for the author.In trying to find an answer to the question of whether the kindergarten is a childrens’ place or a place for children, the meanings that children and teachers give to this space are discovered. It is imperative to obtain information directly from the children, who are the most competent informants and experts of their own lives, and to facilitate their full participation in the research.The children's understandings emerge in participatory research with children.Teachers' conceptions of the space imply different ways in which it s understood by the resident teachers.It is assumed that the meanings given are a consequence of the respondents' experiences of the phenomena. I conduct my research using a phenomenographic approach.

This study explores teachers' conceptions of kindergarten space through a phenomenographic approach. The phenomenographic interview is utilised as the methodological framework. Open-ended questions are employed to elicit material that encapsulates the interviewees' meanings and experiences of kindergarten space. It is imperative to emphasise that the concepts of space should be obtained from the subject; they cannot be generated in the dialogue between researcher and interviewee. The conceptions held by teachers regarding kindergarten space are understood to imply varied interpretations by the resident teachers.In adopting this perspective, the phenomenon under analysis is regarded as an integral component of the life world of the research participants.The research questions posed and the possibilities for teachers to understand aspects of their everyday experience guided the decision to adopt a phenomenological approach.It is assumed that the meanings attributed are a consequence of the respondents' experiences of the phenomena. Approximately 20-25 interviews with teachers working in kindergartens in Poland will be conducted, and respondents will be selected using the snowball method. The open-ended questions will aim to elicit material containing the meanings assigned by the interviewees – kindergarten teachers – to the kindergarten space. The second part of the study is committed to exploring the space from the children's perspective through a participatory research with children. The mosaic approach, as reported by A. Clark, includes the following types of methods: -Observation: A narrative account of a child's day. -Child conferencing: Short, structured interviews conducted individually or in groups. -Using cameras: Children use cameras to take photos of 'important things'. -Tours: Wandering around places pointed out and told by children. - Maps creations: using photographs and drawings, to represent specific locations as highlighted by the children. Interviews: informal conversations with caregivers and parents.In the subsequent section, a detailed discussion of each method incorporated within the mosaic approach will be presented, accompanied by illustrative examples drawn from the research project conducted by A. Clark. The rationale for this methodology is that children are active creators of their lives and their space, and therefore the most suitable subjects for the study. The centrality of children as the most competent informants, as well as their ability to participate fully in the research, is therefore paramount. The study involves 20 children aged 3-6. The present study is being conducted in a Polish kindergarten, and the author would be pleased to collaborate with other kindergartens in Europe in order to compare the results.

These studies will provide valuable insights into the qualitative differences in teachers' experiences and conceptualisations of nursery space.The subsequent qualitative phase will entail in-depth interviews with a sample of teachers. This will allow for the identification of key categories that encapsulate teachers' perceptions of space.The preliminary findings from the interviews suggest that teachers tend to perceive space in a fragmented manner, focusing on specific elements such as aesthetics, toys, and teaching resources. They also make a clear distinction between spaces designated for play and those intended for learning. Furthermore, the analysis will reveal that teachers place significant value on certain teaching resources, while simultaneously overlooking the objects used by children during free play.A central theme that emerges from the interviews is the teachers' desire for a safe and secure environment for children. The objective of this study is to ascertain how children perceive the same phenomenon. The investigation will involve the analysis of places that are significant to children and the determination of whether these places have an impact on the space. The study will entail the acquisition of meanings from two groups of people: children and adults. These meanings will then be juxtaposed in order to answer the research question of whether the kindergarten is a space for children or for children.

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