Classroom areas organized into centers for specific study purposes are discussed. These centers are used for individual or small group work. The physical arrangement of the area used for a study center is described, including the organization of furniture, materials, and preferred locations. Suggestions are made for the management and stocking of…

This booklet is one in a series designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice by suggesting specific classroom activities based on current educational theory and research. Designed for elementary school teachers, it is divided into two sections. The first section discusses such topics as providing a healthy classroom environment for free…

This bulletin reviews the last ten years of research on open space schools in an attempt to provide information for future decision making. The first section defines and presents the historical development of open space schools. The second section reviews the research concerning effects of open space schools on teachers, and section three…

The basic problem in designing change efforts and in assessing them is determining which processes or consequences count and by how much. Whether it is teaching or learning that needs to be changed has to be determined. So it is with class size. What is to be changed as well as how that change is to be measured needs to be determined. The key…

In addition to describing the usual considerations in facilities planning such as educational specifications, the role of the architect, the role of the consultant, this guide, intended for use by individuals responsible for industrial arts shops, focuses on those activities peculiar to industrial arts planning. The industrial arts planner, who…

A study carried out on primary school buildings in Roorkee, India, with a view to effecting economies in the cost of such buildings, is reported. Suggestions are made concerning substantial economies in overall space requirements, by increasing the use-efficiency of school space as a result of systematic operational research on the timetable and…

Many investigators have been interested in the development of techniques for remediating undersirable classroom behavior, but far less attention has been paid to physical, spatial and architectural variables which often set the occasion for inappropriate behavior in the classroom. The present study explored the relationships between these…

This booklet begins by explaining the function, the common planning errors, some location specifications, and the general requirements for any dramatic arts area. Facilities for (1) a single classroom, (2) a double classroom, (3) a specifically designed studio, and (4) a specifically designed studio complex are then described and illustrated.…

This study was designed to investigate and compare the effects of two laboratory approaches in biology upon prospective elementary teachers in their understanding of the social aspects of science, achievement in selected biological principles, understanding of science as process, and ability in critical thinking. The two approaches compared were…

The purpose of this study was to assess and compare achievement of students who were taught science by three different approaches: direct experience (T-1), outdoor classroom (T-2), and indoor classroom (T-3). In addition, the number of students making observations of the outdoor environment for each treatment group was analyzed. The specific…

Investigates student preferences for style of classroom seating arrangements (traditional straightrow, horseshoe, and modular) and concludes that seating preferences are influenced by both course attractiveness and student communication apprehension level. (MH)

The relationship of seating choice to the number of verbal classroom responses, grade point average, and course grade was examined. When college students chose their seats, the highest achievers preferred the front row, center section, and more responses emanated from this area. When seats were assigned, there were no significant differences in…

Organization of materials and stimuli presented on classroom walls can enhance acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of concepts presented to students, according to a limited study of elementary (including some special needs) students who were compared with students taught in a traditional situation. (CB)

Based on an unspecified number of teachers surveyed and onsite visits, agreement exists about some features of optimum facilities for secondary classes in electronic technology. All involved wanted more security, adequate wiring, protection for the equipment, and environmental control. (MLF)

The effects of the arrangements and use of physical space in the art classroom is discussed. Settings can be purposefully designed to suggest certain meanings as well as exert control over the amount and kind of communication that will occur within them. (Author/RM)