Learning spaces

Having access to outdoor spaces at school is great for break times, but it also opens up a whole host of curriculum-linked learning possibilities that extend beyond PE lessons. However, a new study from University of South Australia researchers has found schools may not be making the most of the outdoor areas they have when it comes to curriculum delivery.

How does the physical environment at your school impact the way you approach teaching and learning? In today’s article, we hear about Stonefields Primary School’s emphasis on vision and pedagogical alignment, the development of enabling architecture, impactful staff collaboration, and maintaining the learner at the centre of decision-making.

Researchers from the University of Queensland are determined to help teachers to improve the air quality in their classrooms, improve students’ cognitive performance and decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19 at the same time.

‘When you’re in a bush kinder, there are no gendered materials. Everything that’s there is for anybody to play with.’ Recent findings from a Deakin University study reveal that bush kinders can build children’s early confidence and skill development in STEM, especially for young girls.

To be fit for purpose well into the future, learning spaces within schools will need to be flexible. Two schools in Victoria, Australia, have recently undergone refurbishments to develop new, flexible facilities, and have both been recognised at the 2022 Learning Environments Australasia Awards.

‘There is not a set seating plan. Students choose where to sit according to the task, their learning needs and preferences at any point in time.’ In this reader submission, teachers Heath Henwood and Emily Hales share how they transformed a Year 6 classroom from the traditional rows of desk layout to flexible seating.

Preparing students for experiences beyond school can be difficult to simulate in a classroom environment. Here, we speak with Clarke Road School Principal Rebecca Saunders about how a new mini supermarket at the school is used to support student learning.

When we think of transitions in education, often what comes to mind are the ‘macro’ transitions from home to early childhood settings, and then into school and beyond. But just as important are the everyday ‘micro’ transitions between spaces, activities and people. Here, we speak with Dr Loraine Fordham about why these transitions are important, and tips for educators to handle them sensitively.

‘The metaverse is upon us. Soon it will be as omnipresent as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook (now Meta).’ So reads the first line of a new Policy Brief exploring the potential of the metaverse to enhance teaching and learning in the future, and why we need to start planning for it now.

Involving leaders, teachers, students, families and the wider community in the design and build of schools is relatively commonplace nowadays. However, a new study from the UK highlights that ‘collaboration in itself does not necessarily lead to effective innovation,’ sharing lessons learnt from three schools.