The COVID-19 crisis made spaces for people to immerse themselves in moments of reflection. The suspension of time, sites, and body mobility, the collapse of the past principles; as the macro learning environment has undergone unprecedented changes, how could people read and react to those changes? Learning at the university, almost all the…

Since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person learning, fears about children's learning loss remain a primary concern for parents, teachers, and policymakers. These concerns, combined with longstanding issues of inequity regarding children's access to learning opportunities have sparked widespread discussion about how to reimagine education.…

This paper attempts to reinterpret asylum theory (1954) propounded by Ortwin Henssler (1923-2017) as a free-space theory of education, as a way of grasping the problematic nature of 'pedagogical protection.' The theoretical potential of Henssler's thought has been more appreciated, accepted, and developed in Japan than in his native Germany.…

The chapters in this book both contribute to, and raise fundamental questions about, the knowledge that is valuable in the creation of good places to learn. Whether one is designing, managing or inhabiting a learning place, there are kinds of knowledge that can beneficially affect the relations between one's activities and surroundings. What does…

Empty spaces, open spaces, prefabricated buildings, disused school halls, patches of grass and suchlike have long been the teaching spaces of subjects such as Drama and Physical Education; likewise, ECE and Marae-based learning are other 'marginalised' domains of education in Aotearoa New Zealand today. Subjugated in the educational landscape,…

The back-to-school period takes place in a particular context marked by the obligation to adopt strict health security measures to fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical distancing, as one of the main measures imposed in the situation of the current health crisis, represents a major constraint to the teaching of physical…

The physical environment in early childhood education and care is crucial. This paper examines the Swedish government's vision of preschool design in the welfare state of the 1970s and the conceptions of children and society upon which it was based. Presenting an investigation of reports, booklets, and study materials published by various branches…

Traditional sole-teacher classrooms are being replaced by large, open, flexible learning environments in New Zealand schools. Teacher collaboration within these shared teaching and learning spaces raises important questions about curriculum organisation in secondary-school settings. If secondary teachers are to work collaboratively in shared…

This article explores the possibilities of the diorama medium as a method to investigate educational realities and ideals. Contemporary artistic examples of dioramas deconstruct traditional associations of the diorama as a form of explanatory storytelling and critically contest the problematic reproduction of existing hierarchies, which seem to…

In relation to the growing attention to the quality of physical space in early childhood education and care (ECEC), the present scoping review aims to define the state of the art regarding the relationship between the physical environment of ECEC services and the psychological development of children. After 50 years of research in this field, this…

The concept of affinity spaces, a theoretical construct used to analyze literate activity from a spatial perspective, has gained popularity among scholars of literacy studies and, particularly, video-game studies. This article seeks to expand current notions of affinity spaces by identifying key assumptions that have limited researchers'…

In the digital age, it is increasingly common that classrooms show a significant presence of technological devices that redesign their layout and daily interactions. However, this redesigning is less the result of the direct intervention of designers and architects than the effect of local and usually more silent arrangements that find ways to…

Schools are often sites of surveillance for students as behaviors are governed and regulated by gendered norms and sexed expectations. For transgender and gender non-conforming students, school environments can produce anxiety as students are categorized into gender binaries. This article draws from Canadian policy in public schools and higher…

The starting point of this paper is the Scottish School Grounds Survey of 2005, which provided nationwide insight into the extent to which school grounds were being used as learning environments for children in nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland. Reflecting specifically on provision for play and the way in which play…

For a number of years, higher education has moved away from didactic teaching toward collaborative and self-directed learning. This paper discusses how the configuration and spatial geometry of learning spaces influences engagement and interaction, with a particular focus on hierarchies between people within the space. Layouts, presented as…