School Space Research Articles

Condições de Trabalho Docente: uma escola do campo no semiárido piauiense

ABSTRACT Teaching working conditions are the set of resources and circumstances necessary for teachers to carry out their work and have an impact on the teaching-learning process. The objective of the research presented in this article was to investigate the conditions of teaching work in a rural high school located in a semi-arid in Piauí, Brazil. The qualitative approach was conducted through interviews with seven teachers who work night shifts in an annex of school, which serves young people from different rural communities. It was found that the working conditions offered to teachers are unsatisfactory in terms of the functions they perform, the employment relationship, the workload, transport conditions, infrastructure and the environmental conditions of the school space. The results made visible working conditions and how they impacted teachers' practice, reflecting on the teaching-learning process.

메이커교육을 경험한 초등학생의 감정 탐색

This study explores the emotions of elementary school students who participated in maker education. To this end, the photovoice research method was applied to a class of fourth-grade elementary school students who had undergone maker education. The specific research procedures proposed by Latz (2018) were followed, including eight steps—identification, invitation, education, documentation, narration, ideation, presentation, and confirmation. Data was collected through photos taken by students, photo-voice writing, and interviews and subsequently analyzed in three stages: coding, classification, and topic discovery.
 Data analysis revealed a wide range of emotions experienced by elementary school students, which include anticipation, tension, anger, fatigue, and satisfaction. Examining the meaning of each emotion in detail, anticipation is characterized as 'excitement about something unfamiliar', tension as 'vague fear of failure and injury', anger as 'internal attribution to injury or repeated failure', and fatigue as 'Encountering mental and physical limitations'. Furthermore, satisfaction emerged from the theme of 'the happiness that comes immediately after completing the work'.
 These findings not only serve a diagnostic purpose for an in-depth examination of the emotions experienced by elementary school students in maker education within everyday school spaces but also provide insights for its effective application to school education, particularly in the current scenario of growing global interest in maker education as an innovative educational method. The potential impacts of these findings are expected to extend to the realm of education policy formation.

LA ENSEÑANZA RELIGIOSA EN LAS ESCUELAS INDÍGENAS DE PERNAMBUCO

The study aims to understand the struggles and resistances embedded in indigenous territories in Pernambuco, inserted in their religious traditions, contrary to the colonial heritage and the experiences and achievements of a pedagogical nature in indigenous schools, involved in the promotion of specific, differentiated and intercultural education, in their interfaces with Religious Education. Currently, in Pernambuco, the indigenous peoples of Atikum, Entre Serras Pankararu, Fulni-ô, Kambiwá, Kapinawá, Pankarará, Pankararu, Parankarau Opará, Pankaiwka, Pipipã de Kambixuru, Pipipã Terra and Água, Tuxí, Tuxá, Truká, Xukuru de Cimbres and Xukuru do Ororubá. The approach presented was directed to the study of the curricular component of Religious Education in indigenous schools, in the light of the Official Curriculum, articulated with the Thematic Axes of Indigenous School Education of Pernambuco, considering the differentiated and specific teaching, which underlie the thematic axes and base the construction of methodologies based on the perspective of interculturality. Finally, the relevance of indigenous religious tradition and spirituality within the school space will be analyzed, appreciated as emic categories, in contexts of identity strengthening, articulated with the societal projects of each people.

Application of ecoprophylaxis principles in Australian schools, using Melbourne as an example

This article examines the application of ecoprophylaxis principles in schools in Melbourne, Australia. Ecoprophylaxis is seen as an advanced approach that integrates environmental education, health and sustainable development. The article presents the results of applying this approach in school education, focusing on the impact on students' health, environmental awareness and socio-cultural changes in the community. Findings are presented on how Melbourne schools have become centers of ecological transformation, demonstrating the successful combination of traditional education with innovative environmental and health approaches. The article emphasizes the importance of education in the formation of values and suggests Melbourne's experience as a model for other educational institutions. The outcomes of eco-prophylaxis-based education include:1.Enhanced learner health: Green school spaces and regular physical activity improve learners' physical well-being, fostering psychological comfort that nurtures confidence and social skills. 2. Environmental consciousness and sustainability: Integrating environmental education cultivates a profound understanding of ecological issues and promotes sustainable lifestyles. Involvement in environmental projects instills a sense of responsibility for the planet's future. 3. Sociocultural transformation: Melbourne schools serve as hubs for spreading environmental knowledge, shaping a more conscious and environmentally responsible society through ecoprophylaxis initiatives.

Renovating outdoor space of public schools in Hanoi towards green building criteria

Developing outdoor spaces of schools towards green building criteria not only provides better learning and recreational conditions for pupils but also educates young generation about environmental conservation andsustainable development. In addition to new construction, renovation of existing outdoor spaces can expeditethe realization of these values while optimizing resource use. This paper explores the potential of outdoorlandscapes in public schools, ranging from primary to high school levels in Hanoi, with a particular focus onschools in need of renovation. The aim is to harness this potential to meet the increasingly urgent demands forgreen development. Contributing to this direction, the paper applied inheritance method to synthesis publishedresearch findings and applied observational methods to assess the current situation of outdoor spaces at publicschools in Hanoi, which served as the basis for identifying research issues. Practical experiences were analyzedand summarized in this paper to propose suitable solutions. Throughout the research process, three main greenbuilding criteria were identified: natural cooling and lighting; outdoor air quality and vegetation; sustainablewater and stormwater management. Together with this result, analyzing the actual investigation data of Hanoipublic schools helps the research team identify the renovation requirements. To meet these requirements andalign the three main green building criteria, four solution groups were proposed for typical cases: sunshadeenhancements, vegetation improvements and upgrades, drainage systems enhancements and water reuse, andsolutions to reduce the urban heat island effect.

'Everyone would freak out, like they’ve never seen a boy before’: young people’s experiences of single-sex secondary schooling in NSW

Although gender expansive views are increasingly evident amongst young people, segregation according to binary notions of gender underpins the organisational structures of single-sex secondary schools. While claims of educational benefits are common, particularly for girls, gender is difficult to disentangle from socioeconomic advantage and other factors. Evidence suggests that such schools contribute to homogenised and limiting notions of gender. While some schools are moving towards desegregation in response to parental demand, little is known from the perspectives of young people in non-elite schools who have experienced segregated schooling. This paper turns to the accounts of 14 recent school leavers in NSW to consider the underpinning logics of segregated schooling, including the imbrication and erasure of socioeconomic dis/advantage, cultural, social, and locational factors that complicate claims about segregated schooling. Affective intensities of single-sex schooling are traced through micronarratives that touch on relations with peers, teachers, school spaces and practices, learning experiences, and their implications for gendered subjectivities and gender justice. Their accounts suggest that student experiences of segregated schooling are ambivalent and do not support claims of educational advantage and that configurations of single-sex schooling may be anachronistic for these times.

Szkoła i terytorium. Refleksje edukacyjne wynikające z uczestnictwa w szkole letniej ILS – Innovative Learning Spaces „Schools to be lived”

SCHOOL AND TERRITORY: EDUCATIONAL REFLECTIONS ARISING FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE ILS SUMMER SCHOOL – INNOVATIVE LEARNING SPACES „SCHOOLS TO BE LIVED” The article contains considerations on the feedback relationship between the school as an educational institution and the local territory (city, town or village) in which the school operates, as well as the impact of the spatial organization of the school and its external environment on the educational process. The reflections are based on the results of the international and interdisciplinary summer school ILS – Innovative Learning Spaces “Schools to be lived,” which took place in the fall of 2022 in Pula, Sardinia, pilot surveys and interviews conducted among Polish teachers and primary school students, as well as the author’s many years of observations. The presence of local cultural, social and natural heritage in school curricula and the influence of the arrangement of school spaces may have a significant impact on the quality of education and its adequacy to the challenges of the 21st century. The article is a preview of the author’s more extensive research and strengthens the pedagogical discourse in the context of the European topic of the local territory as an educational space.

Beyond single-identity spaces of Black mattering: Homeplaces for Black LGBTQ+ identities in K-12 schools

ABSTRACT Many scholars have documented the critical importance of youth having access to spaces of joy and homeplaces in which they learn to matter. Research has shown that Black LGBTQ+ youth often struggle to locate homeplaces and spaces of joy in K-12 schooling contexts due to societal beliefs flowing from anti-blackness, (hetero)sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism. These discriminatory beliefs coupled with the lack of understanding many educational stakeholders have about the (dis)connections between interlocking systems of oppression complicates their capacity to construct spaces of affirmation and inclusion for Black LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schools. In this article, I draw on previous scholarship within Black LGBTQ+ communities in which I worked within a queer of color critique framework to explore how Black LGBTQ+ youth and their communities practice love, agency, and world-making. I reflect on this previous work and offer three practical invitations for education stakeholders committed to creating spaces of joy and homeplaces for Black LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schooling spaces.

Children's social life space during a pandemic - a research report from rural areas

The article presents qualitative research on the social relations of rural children during the Covid-19 pandemic and their agency in this regard. The research material was collected through focus group interviews with children aged 7 and 9 from two villages in north-eastern Poland. As a result of the research, their social contacts in the space of home, school and backyard were characterized. It was found that the children experienced relatively limited solitude, being always in contact with family members and peers from the neighborhood. Staying at school is the basis for expanding the social relations of children in the countryside. Early school age children prefer direct contacts and the media did not constitute a satisfactory field of social relations during the pandemic. Parents and the school limited the agency of children during the pandemic.

Educational Environment in the Inclusive Space of Mush: Problems and Ways to Solve Them

The article presents research on educational environment in an inclusive space. Emphasis is placed on identifying problems faced by heads of general secondary education institutions, parents, teachers, and psychologists. It is emphasized that all problems arising in educational institutions have certain solutions that need to be solved.
 The research indicates that heads of educational institutions, being in an administrative position, understand their functionality and responsibilities and strive to make the educational space of students safe and comfortable. Like any other participant in the educational process, the administration of an educational institution faces certain difficulties or problems that must be responded to quickly enough and find ways to solve them. We identified a number of problems faced by the administrator of the educational institution; however, the personnel potential is significant.
 The article presents the position of parents regarding the educational environment in an inclusive space. Parents should be oriented in the informational space of social networks, providing informational support and considering the expediency of cooperation at the level of parents and inclusive resource centers. A significant problem for parents identified in the study is the lack of knowledge among parents about the impact of correctional and developmental work on children with special educational needs.
 Working in an educational institution, a pedagogical worker may have a problem in the direction of the absence of a teacher’s assistant and a child’s assistant. The presence of such an employee in the educational institution will allow to plan the educational process in a modern way and to establish communication with the students of education. In the future, the close interaction of a pedagogical worker, a teacher's assistant and a child’s assistant will significantly improve the educational process and help the child adapt to the conditions of the educational space faster.
 Among the main problems faced by psychologists, it is important to determine the work with parents to resolve the conflict in the classroom with adults who are not ready to send the child to school, a class where there is a child with special educational needs. To solve this problem, the psychologist should conduct lectures, individual conversations, both with parents and with the class teacher and children.
 Complex interaction and close cooperation of the administration of the educational institution, teaching staff, psychologists and parents will allow to create comfortable conditions in the inclusive space of the New Ukrainian School, which further motivates the students to study.

What do we know about rural teaching identity? An exploratory study based on the generative-narrative approach

Abstract Generativity, manifested through interest in and commitment to the development of future generations, is a relevant dimension of teaching culture. Objective: To characterize the personal and professional development manifested by educators working in rural schools in Chile. Method: An interpretative-qualitative approach was adopted, based on an exploratory, cross-sectional and non-experimental design. The purposive sample consisted of 18 educators with an average age of 60 and with 33 years of professional experience in rural schools in the Metropolitan, Araucanía and Los Ríos regions (Chile). For the data collection, in-depth interviews were conducted from a narrative-generative perspective. The narratives were analyzed by means of content analysis. Results: Four categories were identified relating to generativity: significant life experiences, pedagogical dimensions of generative development, generative-expansive adulthood and personal formation. The implications of generativity for teaching practice and the way in which it shapes the educational legacy that transcends school space and time are discussed.

성평등 관점의 성교육을 실천하는 보건교사의 경험에 관한 내러티브 탐구

Objectives The purpose of this study was to conduct a narrative inquiry into the motivations for practicing sexuality education provided by health teachers and the various practice experiences of sexuality education from a gender equality perspective.
 Methods Six health teachers who practice sexuality education from a gender equality perspective were selected as participants in this study. By collecting stories about their experience in practicing sexuality education from a gender equality perspective and going through the process of reexamining the research purpose and research puzzle, the intermediate text was processed based on the three axes of narrative inquiry: temporality, sociality, and space (place). The intermediate text was interpreted and analyzed with evidences based on the perspective of the research puzzle and previous research and theory and presented as a research text.
 Results The meaning of the health teacher's experience of practicing sexuality education from a gender equality perspective was derived by classifying it into three dimensions: personal justification, practical justification, and social justification. First, in terms of personal justification, it was derived as ‘awareness of gender inequality and growth gained from it’, ‘self-reflection and internalization of gender equality perspective’, and ‘establishing teacher identity as a minority in school space’. Second, in terms of practical justification, it was derived as ‘approaching everyday life as unfamiliar and making gender equality a habit’, ‘expanding the perspective of gender equality to the periphery’, and ‘changing perception of feminism’. Third, in the social justification dimension, it was derived as ‘implications of the implementation process for generalization of gender equality education’, ‘desire to improve structure for efficient practice of gender equality education’, and ‘clarification of support for gender equality education policy’.
 Conclusions This study about the current state of sexuality education from a gender equality perspective provides meaningful data to prepare practical support measures, suggests new practice and processes to solve problems in school sexuality education, and contributes to find the alternatives for various changes in the sexuality education field in the future.

Comparison of the Opinions of School Management and Students of the Faculty of Sports on the Use of School Spaces for Physical Activity

Statutory and by-law regulations determine the functioning of the primary school, and within this also define the way these premises are used. Within the framework of the project Designing guidelines for the quality design of modern school architecture with the aim of supporting a comprehensive sustainable way of living and working in school, an important goal is to establish opportunities for a movement-friendly school. The goal was to check the attitude of school leaders (with many years of experience) and the future professional sports public (without many years of experience) to the use of different school facilities for the realization of supporting physical activity. Questionnaires were filled out by 21 elementary school principals and 72 students in the third year of first-level studies and the first year of second-level studies at the Ljubljana Faculty of Sports. Both groups would make significantly better use of the existing spaces for physical activity, but in comparison, managements are more in favor of the occasional use of school spaces such as classrooms, corridors and multi-purpose halls, outdoor children's and outdoor sports grounds for sports activities; the managements estimate that there are not enough toilets, shower cubicles, hand basins in their schools, both found a lack of foot basins; students notice more that students do not shower after practice; a slightly smaller proportion of management would practice athletics, gymnastics, football and handball in gyms; the proportion of managers who would dedicate corridors and a multi-purpose hall to football in the future is higher, and the proportion of those who plan athletic content on the outdoor children's playground is lower.

Interspecies care, knowledge and ownership: children’s equestrian cultures in Sweden and Finland

ABSTRACT Riding became a widespread leisure activity for children in Sweden and Finland during the post-war decades through the emergence of riding schools. Drawing on books and comics published in Sweden and Finland from the 1960s to the present, together with interviews and observations at contemporary Swedish riding schools, we approach this development with a geographical, historical and sociological focus. We ask how children’s equestrian cultures were formed within the spaces of horse yards, especially riding schools, and how caring well was understood and negotiated through different types of knowledge and the idea and practice of horse ownership. As we show in the analysis, despite the increase of written knowledge about horses and their care, situated and relational knowledges based on interspecies interaction prevailed in children’s equestrian cultural spheres in which children had a chance to interact with animals and care for them outside the everyday spaces of family and school. In these cultures of interspecies care, ideas of horse ownership carried expectations of continuity where the child–horse relationship was secured and could develop. The entry to these spatial cultures was through rites of passage characterised by embodied interaction and hands-on care, where children learned to care for animals well.

Designing primary school grounds for Nature-based learning: A review of the evidence

AbstractNature-based learning within the primary school curriculum offers numerous potential benefits. However, there is a lack of clarity about how school grounds can be designed to enable effective nature-based learning. There is also little knowledge of how specific features within green school grounds contribute to specific desirable outcomes, such as improved academic performance or health. To address this gap, a systematised review of peer-reviewed academic literature was undertaken, with 173 databases searched from January to December 2021. The search included studies of nature-based learning on school grounds and literature concerned with the design of green school grounds for fostering nature connectedness and broader educational outcomes for primary school children aged 5 to 11. No date or geographical restrictions were applied. Of a total of 285 articles initially identified, 11 matched the inclusion criteria. Results from these indicate significant research gaps on the design of green learning spaces in schools. While studies note apparent positive links between nature-based learning in school grounds and improved subject-specific learning, wellbeing, and nature connectedness, there is very little empirical evidence of how specific design features are linked to specific outcomes. Furthermore, the current evidence base is poorly representative of different social, cultural, and geographical contexts and not fully reflective of all primary schooling ages. The challenging contexts of urban schools and schools with small footprints are also inadequately addressed. These findings indicate an urgent need for increased research to guide the design of school grounds for the implementation of nature-based learning programmes for primary school learners.

The University Forest School Space in England: taking seminars outdoors for early years undergraduates

ABSTRACT Outdoor natural spaces are seen as not only physical locations but also shaped by human interactions, cultural practices, and political processes. University seminars were conducted in the on-campus Forest School. Focusing specifically on the development of early years educators in England, the exploration of outdoor natural spaces reveals a multifaceted dimension that extends beyond mere physicality. A convenience group of 25 participants comprising early years undergraduates were selected for a focus group that took place around a campfire after a series of seminar discussions. Thematic analysis of the data revealed the themes of collaboration, creativity, and cultural boundaries. Drawing upon Lefebvre and Massey, this research highlights the potential for new educational spaces beyond the traditional indoor classroom and the benefits of incorporating nature into early years learning environments.

Homofobia e docência: as dificuldades que docentes homossexuais encontram na prática profissional

This article aims to understand how homophobia impacts the professional experience of homosexual teachers in Ponta Grossa, Paraná. To this end, 5 (five) interviews guided by a semi-structured script aimed at gay teachers from that city, with a view to identifying how homophobia is (re) produced in the school space and which factors make it an institutional phenomenon, as it impacts the professional and private life of these professionals. Subsequently, the interviews were transcribed, analyzed and systematized in a database from the free and open-source software LibreOffice, using content analysis of discourse. From the results, it is evident that teachers suffered homophobia in all school levels, even when they were just students. And, it was possible to identify that all spheres that make up the school space propagate discrimination and prejudice contributing to a continuum of the homophobic phenomenon. Thus, teachers are coerced not to express their sexuality; are censored by the coordination and direction regarding discussions on this subject; are exposed to continuous confrontation with students and other pedagogical staff; there is a greater charge in relation to their practice, as well as the difficulty in relating with other professional colleagues.

Exploring the opportunities and constraints of urban small green spaces: an investigation of affordances

ABSTRACT The presence of green elements, such as plants, trees, and natural outdoor spaces, has been found to have a significant impact on children's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Studies have shown that access to green spaces can improve children's cognitive development, increase their physical activity levels, and reduce stress and anxiety. Furthermore, green features may increase children's creativity, imagination, and environmental, ecological, and social interaction education. This research aims to comprehend how green elements affect the formation of gathering spots for children in urban areas and which social and functional features influence children's decisions when choosing gathering spots. It specifically examines the social and spatial constraints that limit children's active play in urban spaces in the immediate vicinity of five single-gender girls’ elementary schools in Tehran. Moreover, it observes how the priority of children in choosing gathering spots around schools is affected by safety and surveillance concerns. Observations indicate that children's hang-out spots around schools are determined more by safety and surveillance than access to green spaces or natural elements. The research provides insights into the importance of green elements in shaping children's playful behavior. It emphasizes the necessity of considering safety when planning green spaces in schools’ vicinities.

Paulo Freire and the praxis of liberation: Education, organization and ethics

The appropriation of Paulo Freire’s ideas by academic and educators of the West often reduces them to a pedagogical method. This article’s argument affirms that considering his contributions from a strictly pedagogic perspective would empty the educative act of its political content and, according to Freire, would make it as dominating as any other. The text is written in a close relationship with the words of Freire. It is recognized, in the discussion of the challenges we face if we intend to explore the possibilities of practicing a liberating education at the space of management schools, that it is always possible to make something to contradict the dominant and to open space for creativity and hope. In this situation, it necessarily includes the critique of management and its insertion in the process of cultural invasion. The aim is not to provide a conclusive contribution; it is an invitation to future dialogues that embrace Paulo Freire’s ideas mainly around themes such as organization, leadership and education, always keeping in mind the praxeology and the critical ethics that are at the fundament of his propositions.

School-Based Trauma: A Scoping Review

School-based trauma is not a new concept, but scholars have not yet developed a comprehensive definition that coalesces. In this paper, I conduct a scoping review of scholarship across three decades and map existing definitions of school-based trauma onto a theoretical framework. I propose an updated definition for school-based trauma that encompasses existing definitions and includes a systemic lens to thinking about the concept. In doing, I invite scholars to take up the concept in a theoretically sound and comprehensive way to support children better and work towards creating school spaces that do not cause trauma.