School Space Research Articles

Student wellbeing in vertical schools: a multilayered student voice approach for inclusion and influence

AbstractVertical schools are a new type of school in Australia, with little research available to guide designers and school leaders how to address the physical and social challenges that density and interiority add to the students’ schooling experience. As students capably communicate their experiences and perspectives about school spaces for wellbeing, pioneering students in three new vertical schools demonstrated the power of student voice in the Thriving in Vertical Schools project, a 3-year mixed-methods Australian Research Council Linkage project. Young people showed adults how their school spaces enable them to be, feel, and do activities where they feel capable, and how the vertical school environment contributes to wellbeing. Students communicated their voice through multiple layers: the student voice processes (methods), stories with sensory atmospheres (experience), and participating in impactful discussions with adults (action/influence). Adult designers and education leaders were interviewed several weeks after listening to students, identifying how student perspectives had influenced their work. This paper demonstrates how the combination of participatory voice-inclusive methods enabled students to communicate immersive experiences that brought light to interactions for school wellbeing at a level of granularity that adults had not had access to before to influence future designs. This paper argues for the value of attending to student voice and sensitivity in providing choice and options when doing so, so that students are supported to express themselves and their rich experiences in ways of their choosing and ways comfortable to them.

ESTUDO DA CRIANÇA COM TRANSTORNO DE ESPECTRO AUTISTA: NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present changes in communication, social interaction and behavior. In this sense, there are several challenges to be faced in different spaces. The theme of this work is the study of children with autism spectrum disorder: in early childhood education. The general objective is to understand specialized pedagogical practices aimed at learning for children with autism spectrum disorder in early childhood education and as specific objectives to verify intervention programs from the perspective of the development of children with autism spectrum disorder in early childhood education; record the importance of family involvement in monitoring children on the autism spectrum in early childhood education; point out the most common challenges faced by children with autism spectrum disorder in early childhood education. Thus, to achieve these objectives, bibliographical research and qualitative analysis were used. In this way, the results demonstrate that the professionals’ interpretation brought the possibility of broadening the perspectives on the reality experienced by students with ASD in the school space and that the inclusion process is happening slowly and with many gaps still to be overcome. The need for continued training for teachers is also of great importance for the acceptance of inclusion as a social process, and the pedagogical strategies used by them are the main instrument of social interaction for students with ASD in the school environment.

The Biopolitical Kindergarten: A Critical Qualitative Examination of the Intersection Between Policymakers’ Neoliberal Reforms and Children’s Figuring of Themselves as Learners

This critical qualitative policy research study examines the intersection between policymakers’ neoliberal kindergarten reforms and children figuring themselves as learners within a publicly funded schooling community. Engaging in this examination of the biopolitical kindergarten space, which is shaped by standardized teaching and learning experience designed to prepare kindergarteners for the high-stakes reforms that await them in later grades, creates the opportunity to consider whether school spaces are designed to prepare the next generation of democratic citizens. It also provides insight as to how critical qualitative policy researchers can investigate as well as propose tangible policy responses through their work that seek to change the current era of policymakers schooling children through their neoliberal reforms.

Research on Design Methods for Interactive Spaces in Schools for Children with Intellectual Disabilities Considering User Needs

To scientifically enhance user perception in decision-making for designing interactive spaces in schools for children with intellectual disabilities, we propose an innovative design model that integrates the Kano model, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Axiomatic Design (AD) theories based on user needs. Initially, multi-method research was used to gather the original user requirements which were then refined through data cleaning to establish the initial user needs. The Kano model was then employed to categorize these initial user needs. AHP was then used to construct a hierarchical analysis model for the interactive spaces in schools for children with intellectual disabilities, creating a judgment matrix to accurately calculate demand weight values at each level. Subsequently, AHP was used to select the most important demand items. The independence axiom of AD theory was used to achieve a “Z”-shaped mapping between the functional requirements (FRs) and design parameters (DPs) for the interactive spaces in schools for children with intellectual disabilities. This mapping was analyzed using a matrix approach to assess the design rationality and optimize solutions, thereby transforming user needs into design parameters. Finally, the design parameters were used to create interactive spaces through computer-aided design, and the resulting design plans were evaluated. Experimental results indicate that this design scheme effectively translates subjective concepts into specific design parameters through a qualitative and quantitative approach. This significantly enhances the user needs of interactive spaces in schools for children with intellectual disabilities and provides a scientific basis for the architectural design of these schools.

When counter-extremism ‘sticks’: the circulation of the Prevent Duty in the school space

ABSTRACT This article contributes to scholarship in Muslim geographies to show how the Prevent Duty is a racializing and securitizing policy, which exists in an already unequal school space. Through the concept of ‘stickiness’, it shows how the Prevent Duty creates associations of violence and extremism with gendered Muslim bodies and considers the spatial politics of Prevent Duty training. By attending to the effective nature of Prevent, this paper considers how these policy documents create negative attachments that shape how Muslim teachers experience the school space, as both the implementers and potential targets of the policy. In-depth interviews with current and former teachers working in London schools were conducted in 2018, with a particular focus on the experiences of Muslim teachers. The results indicate that when the Prevent Duty is in circulation, it creates an atmosphere in which ‘Muslimness’ feels under surveillance, lingering beyond the training space.

Reflections on coaching and mentoring in the transition to school space

ABSTRACT The learning and development of educators in schools can take many forms. This paper is a critical reflection about the coaching and mentoring practices of the authors, set within the context of a state-wide transition to school initiative in Queensland, Australia. The paper describes the context of the initiative, the role of the authors, critical participatory action research methodology adopted, some of the tasks used, and emerging evidence of the efficacy or otherwise of decisions made. Critical reflection on the processes undertaken, and the rationale for these, have formed the basis for planning coaching and mentoring support through the initiative and constitute the data utilised in this paper.

Fly-around-the-World Near-Space Picosatellite for Cost-Effective School Space Projects

This research presents the design and development of a near-space picosatellite platform intended to operate at high altitudes between 20–40 km above sea level. These picosatellites function similarly to orbital satellites but float and travel with the wind in the atmosphere instead of orbiting the Earth. The platform utilizes a super-pressure balloon to provide buoyancy, allowing the picosatellite to remain airborne and operational for several days to months, capable of flying around the world multiple times. This study focuses on the cost-effective design of high-altitude platforms, telecommunication systems, and energy consumption for the picosatellite, enabling it to communicate with ground stations from anywhere in the world while consuming low power. The use of common COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) equipment aims to enhance accessibility for educational applications. This research gathered data from our previous studies for over 20 high-altitude platform flights, analyzed the necessary factors for whole system design, and developed a new prototype that has been successfully built and tested.

Representation of Alternate Masculinities in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Masculinity and its practice in contemporary life cannot be divorced from the constructions of masculinity that are dictated by traditional hegemonic assumptions of machismo that centre on the definition of being a man in the 21st century. This paper takes contemporary popular young adult novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Sáenz, 2012) to delineate how adolescent boys in their daily lives practice masculinity, identity, and existence. The novel is further scrutinised vis-à-vis the protagonists in the novel who negotiate their identities and their sexualities keeping in mind the heteronormativity and the pressures presented by hegemonic masculinity in school spaces. The novel is examined for any alternate ways of being queer, male, and masculine through the protagonists’ navigation of their daily lives, their relations with their family and the analysis of anger within machismo discourses.

The use of mobile applications in higher education institutions to enhance the quality of the educational process

The article reveals the possibilities of mobile applications and experimentally proves the practicality of their use in the professional training of specialists. The popularity and significance of various mobile applications in the modern educational process have been demonstrated. The spectrum of mobile applications was analyzed, the content of mobile applications was revealed, and the most effective of them were considered, which can be useful in teaching pedagogical, natural, and humanitarian disciplines and can be used in distance learning conditions to support and motivate learning. The didactic principles that educational mobile applications must comply with are highlighted, and their advantages and disadvantages are shown. Specific forms, methods, and ways of introducing mobile learning into the educational process of a higher school were considered, which should be actively applied by teachers in the educational process of a higher school. The conducted experimental research on the importance and necessity of using mobile applications in education shows that mobile learning has become popular among young people and most university students are psychologically and technically ready for the use of educational mobile programs in education and require the mandatory use of mobile applications in the educational space of a higher school.

Features of the formation of interiors of educational space of primary schools based on energy efficiency, technology and safety

The article explores the scientific and technical sources and principles of the design of premises of primary schools and identifies the main aspects of the formation of educational space in primary schools taking into account the needs of modern conditions, ergonomic, emotional, psychophysiological, anthropometric, aesthetic requirements and standards to create an effective, technological and safe learning environment for children of primary school age. The specificity and problems of the impact of space on the psycho-emotional state of the student, the process of learning, perception, and assimilation of the material by the students as a whole are formed and highlighted. Recommendations for the design of functional interiors of the educational environment of primary schools are given. Within the framework of the study, various parameters of interior design were analyzed, such as the selection of furniture and finishing materials, the placement of furniture and equipment in the space, the principle of flexible classroom zoning, the selection of a color solution for the future educational environment, etc. The article emphasizes the importance of maintaining and taking into account these features of the design of modern school spaces, to create such conditions that would meet the most important needs of children of early school age, were efficient, technological, and at the same time safe.

Data Evaluation of a Low-Cost Sensor Network for Atmospheric Particulate Matter Monitoring in 15 Municipalities in Serbia.

Conventional air quality monitoring networks typically tend to be sparse over areas of interest. Because of the high cost of establishing such monitoring systems, some areas are often completely left out of regulatory monitoring networks. Recently, a new paradigm in monitoring has emerged that utilizes low-cost air pollution sensors, thus making it possible to reduce the knowledge gap in air pollution levels for areas not covered by regulatory monitoring networks and increase the spatial resolution of monitoring in others. The benefits of such networks for the community are almost self-evident since information about the level of air pollution can be transmitted in real time and the data can be analysed immediately over the wider area. However, the accuracy and reliability of newly produced data must also be taken into account in order to be able to correctly interpret the results. In this study, we analyse particulate matter pollution data from a large network of low-cost particulate matter monitors that was deployed and placed in outdoor spaces in schools in central and western Serbia under the Schools for Better Air Quality UNICEF pilot initiative in the period from April 2022 to June 2023. The network consisted of 129 devices in 15 municipalities, with 11 of the municipalities having such extensive real-time measurements of particulate matter concentration for the first time. The analysis showed that the maximum concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were in the winter months (heating season), while during the summer months (non-heating season), the concentrations were several times lower. Also, in some municipalities, the maximum values and number of daily exceedances of PM10 (50 μg/m3) were much higher than in the others because of diversity and differences in the low-cost sensor sampling sites. The particulate matter mass daily concentrations obtained by low-cost sensors were analysed and also classified according to the European AQI (air quality index) applied to low-cost sensor data. This study confirmed that the large network of low-cost air pollution sensors can be useful in providing real-time information and warnings about higher pollution days and episodes, particularly in situations where there is a lack of local or national regulatory monitoring stations in the area.

Coloniality and Refugee Education in the United States

In this paper, we demonstrate the ways in which the schooling of refugee youth in the United States reflects ongoing coloniality in education. Drawing on data collected in a case study, conducted between 2013 and 2016, as part of a larger ongoing ethnography of a Southwest United States District school’s response to refugee students, we show how the enactment of policies, pedagogies, and practices within schools reinforce the government’s control over refugee students and their families. In schools, the students are kept out of certain school spaces, marginalized in remedial courses, and denied academic opportunities and integrated support services. Using empirical data, we demonstrate how the restriction of the students’ movement in and around schools is embedded within the larger limitations embedded in coloniality and assimilation. We situate our analysis within the tensions and interactions between coloniality, assimilation, and neoliberalism as articulated in studies within anthropology and sociology, migration studies, critical refugee studies, and cultural studies. We conclude with a call for the decolonization of education and offer a practical starting point in refugee education.

For Da Brothas: a call for fat, black male and masculine folx literature

PurposeThis study rigorously explores the intersectional challenges faced by black fat males, emphasizing the amalgamation of anti-fat bias, gender and sexuality and racial discrimination within educational contexts. The purpose of this study is to dissect the complex dynamics of this intersection, shedding light on the nuanced experiences of black men. Central to this exploration is the advocacy for creating inclusive educational sanctuaries, providing a safe space for these individuals to thrive, learn and engage in holistic personal development.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish our objectives, this paper reviewed existing literature on anti-fatness, intersecting with issues of race, gender and sexuality. Drawing upon qualitative data, this study incorporated personal narratives and experiences to offer a comprehensive perspective. Our research methodology also involved an analysis of metrics like body mass index (BMI) and its impact on health-care practices and policies, particularly concerning the black community.FindingsThe research discerns that black fat males encounter multifaceted challenges in educational settings, often rooted in societal prejudices and systemic biases. It highlights the inadequacy of conventional metrics like BMI in capturing the complexity of these experiences. The study identifies the urgent need for safe school spaces, emphasizing the importance of inclusive language, varied seating arrangements and tailored educational content. These findings underscore the imperative for proactive measures in dismantling anti-fatness within academic institutions.Originality/valueThis research contributes significantly to the academic discourse by pioneering an in-depth exploration of the intersectional challenges black fat males face in education. This study offers a novel perspective by focusing on the unique amalgamation of anti-fat bias and racial discrimination. The proposal for educational sanctuaries tailored to the needs of this demographic represents an innovative solution, bridging gaps in the existing literature. Through its nuanced approach and advocacy for inclusivity, this study stands as an original and pioneering contribution to the field, urging educators and policymakers to reevaluate their practices and create equitable learning environments.

1930년대 중등사립여학교의 금강산 수학여행과 학생들의 인식

This study aims to expand the scope of understanding of the trends of colonial school trips and students' experiences. To this end, female students' school trips to Geumgangsan Mountain were reviewed. Until now, it has focused on school trips to Japan and Manchuria, and has focused on revealing the politics of the colonial power inherent in them. In this paper, the Geumgangsan Mountain School Trip Travel Travel Bulletin was analyzed to try to approach the emotions and consciousness of female students through the Geumgangsan School Trip. In the case of school trips, the different educational effects expected by the various subjects of education surrounding the school space, the political and economic interests of the ruling authorities, and the student subject's desire for travel were intricately intertwined. While public girls' schools conducted school trips to Japan, private girls' schools mainly chose Mt. Geumgang. The female students' school trips examined in this paper reflect their pride in Joseon and self-consciousness as a female student receiving modern education, as they experience the beautiful natural scenery of Geumgangsan Mountain, the history and legends of colonial Joseon. Through school trips, students witnessed the rural reality of Joseon and the development made for modern colonial tourism, and recognized the imbalance so far.

METODOLOGIAS ATIVAS PARA O ENSINO DE PALEONTOLOGIA NA EDUCAÇÃO BÁSICA

The teaching of Paleontology is of great importance in the training of students, supporting the understanding of various science contents. For this reason, its implementation from Elementary School is essential as it provokes curiosity in students. Despite this, themes in this field of knowledge are treated in a fragmented manner in school spaces, so many difficulties are encountered, whether in the structure, the lack of teaching resources, the limitations of support instruments, such as textbooks, or even due to negligence of the official documents that guide fundamental education in Brazil, which often do not deal with the subject with due importance. Given this context, we set out as a general objective to present methodological proposals for the teaching of Paleontology based on the elaboration of a catalogue that brings together scripts of practical activities, which require little infrastructure, and uses simple, low-cost materials that can contribute to the teaching-learning process of Paleontology in Elementary School. The preparation of the catalogue followed three stages: 1) Collection of reference data (bibliographic and teaching materials); 2) Selection and ordering of the thematic activities found, always focusing on the low cost of the materials used and the ease of carrying them out in the school environment); 3) Structural reorganization of the selected activities, considering our pedagogical understanding, to compose the catalogue. Thus, and in line with the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), the activities were organized into three groups: a) research/production of materials; b) didactic game; c) information and communication technologies. The Practical Activities Guide Catalog aims to bring students and teachers at Elementary School Science and Paleontology together, serving as an instrument to assist in the teaching-learning process.

Application of Simulation-Based Metrics to Improve the Daylight Performance of a Secondary School, An Approach for Green Building Designers and Architects

Visual comfort affects the quality of classrooms as well as student learning. A practice-oriented approach discovers how the gap between academic research and its application in building design can be addressed. Nevertheless, the physical characteristics design of daylighting systems, including window sizes, shapes, dimensions, and materials, are considered fundamental challenges for their practicability. In this study, the physical characteristics design of daylighting systems, including window sizes, shapes, dimensions, and materials, are considered in a designed sample school, and the daylight metrics were analyzed to achieve more trustworthy and applicable daylighting systems. Grasshopper (Honeybee-Ladybug), as a parametric control method, was applied to simulate the daylighting quality for various educational spaces in a secondary school in Sanandaj City, based on average ‘Daylight Factor’, ‘Daylight Autonomy’, ‘Useful Daylight Illuminance’, and ‘Annual Sunlight Exposure’. These metrics were examined to discover the relationship between window size and positions on visual comfort. The results indicate daylighting assessments are a solid approach to revising the architectural design mistakes at the primary designing phase. Architects and other building designers or energy consumption assessors can apply the design improvement process to present more sufficient and successful architectural details. This is a fundamental step toward the implementation of green buildings.

기숙사 장소감 형성과 대학 생활 적응 간의 관계

Objectives This study examines the relationship between the formation of home experience in the dormitory and college life, based on qualitative interviews with college students about their living experiences in the dormitory. Methods Ten college students who currently live or have lived in college dormitories were recruited as research participants, and the data collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews were analyzed from May 8, 2023 to August 15, 2023. Results College students living in dormitories were found to view the dormitory as a public space for school rather than a private space for living and relaxing, and lacked ‘a sense of place/sense of IBASHO’. They reported that they were always aware of being watched and that this prevented them from relaxing fully. Residents tried to minimize the amount of time they spent in the dormitory, streamline their daily routines to avoid leaving their dorm rooms, or go home to relax when they were not in class, in an attempt to gain the time and space they felt they lacked. Instead, however, they failed to form an emotional connection to the dorm and viewed their time in the dorm as a time to endure. As a result, the students had difficulty adjusting to college life because they perceived their entire college experience as something to endure, and although they participated in the regular academic curriculum, they participated less in networking, socializing, and club activities. Conclusions Based on the findings, this study recommends viewing the residential experience as part of a college education and expanding programs that build a sense of place in dormitories.

Shame and love in a city high school: Understanding Chinese rural students' narratives of critical world making

AbstractIn this Narrative Inquiry, we share the stories of three Chinese rural students who grew up in a southeastern county in China before moving to the county seat for high school. By inviting our participants to read their own life, we aimed to understand how Chinese rural students make sense of their experience in an exam‐centered school system that seemed to offer them opportunities of upward social mobility but at the same time perpetuated the mindset of rural deficiency. Data analysis shows that the visceral feelings of shame and love played an important role in our participants' critical consciousness about school, allowing them to work within and against school norms to transform a strictly stratified school space. We argue that marginalized youth's storytelling can become a practice of critical literacy, enabling them to construct critical meaning makings in embodied ways.

Hygienic problems of using modern information and communication technologies and means of providing them in the digital educational environment

Introduction. The active use of modern digital technologies and means of their support in the educational process in Russian schools, in the absence of effective medical and preventive maintenance over changes in the general education system in the context of its digital transformation, contributes to the formation of health risks for students. The purpose of the study. hygienic assessment of the digital educational environment of Russian schools in the context of the use of modern digital technologies and means of supporting them. Materials and methods. The object of the study is the federal statistical observation forms of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation No. OO-1 and No. OO-2 for the 2022–2023 academic year. There was conducted a hygienic assessment of indicators characterizing the development of digital educational environment (DEE) in Russian schools, to identify the main risk factors for the health of students in the context of digitalization of school environment. Results. The DEE of Russian schools is characterized by the provision of personal computers (PCs), while the share of stationary PCs is 31.9%, laptops and tablets – 68.1%. 94.8% of schools are connected to the wired Internet, 48.4% and 29.9% of schools are connected to the wireless and mobile Internet, respectively. The average number of computer science classrooms is 0.9 classrooms per 1 school. In educational institutions, 61.5% of classrooms are equipped with multimedia projectors, 35.8% with interactive whiteboards and panels. There is an increase in the availability of information equipment for the entire school space (recreation, library, etc.). New digital platforms are actively developing (“IT cube”, children’s technoparks “Quantorium”, and centers “Point of Growth”), which in quantitative terms are comparable to the number of educational institutions and are outside of the zone of medical and preventive provision. Limitations. The study is limited to a sample of indicators characterizing the state of DEE at the stage of general education, which does not allow extrapolating the data obtained to secondary vocational and higher education. Conclusion. The data obtained actualize the need to modernize the architectural and planning solutions of school buildings and improve scientifically based medical and preventive support for the digital transformation of education.

The Construction of the Pedagogical Space from the Narratives of the Early Childhood Education Teachers

Environments or learning spaces in school classrooms contribute to the improvement of educational processes. Specifically, in the Early Childhood Education, teachers can design learning spaces, which fosters an environment of safety and autonomy for the students of the Early Childhood Education. This study explores the teachers' narratives concerning the meanings they assign to the school space, the criteria by which they design and transform it, and its connection to model of educational. We have collected 34 stories of pre-primary education teachers through a semi-structured interview in which they had to reflect on this pedagogical design. As most relevant result we identify a model sustained under constructivist or cognitive criteria, rather than a dialogical one. We conclude that this epistemological perspective of the construction of the school environment should be oriented towards a more participatory and co-constructed model of the educational space.