The progress of a class of tenth grade Honors Biology I students learning in an open space learning environment during the first six weeks of the 1985-86 school year was compared to the progress of a similar class studying under the same teacher in a traditional, closed classroom the following year. The study was conducted in Westfield High School…

This study assessed the effect of room design on small-group communication patterns. Twenty-seven groups of three subjects each were assigned to nine types of rooms that differed with respect to shape, interior decoration, and other environmental elements. Subjects discussed a standard group-discussion topic. Data indicated that room design had no…

This study investigated achievement and attitude changes of students, and attitude changes of teachers in open-space and closed-space classrooms. Two hundred students stratified on sex and elementary school were randomly selected from open- and closed-spaced high schools. Students were pre- and post-tested on reading comprehension, language usage,…

A non-sexist preschool program was developed which attempted to eliminate sex-stereotyping in room arrangement, classroom materials, curriculum units, and teacher behavior and language. Measurements of sex-role stereotyping administered to the children before and after a 6-month exposure to the non-sexist program consisted of an Occupation Clue…

A study sought to determine whether intermediate age children exposed to open classroom teaching strategy have a more positive attitude toward school than intermediate age children exposed to conventional teaching strategy. The hypothesis was that there would be no significant difference in attitude between the two groups. The study was limited to…

Windowless school buildings are currently being proposed as a design solution to the problems of vandalism, energy conservation, and building costs. However, little consideration is being given to the effects of windowless classrooms on the students and teachers inside. This thesis describes the effect of windowless classrooms on three specific…

The purpose of this study is to examine the organization of play space and the effect which this organization has on children's productive and disruptive behavior in an indoor nursery setting. A second purpose was to develop a category system for recording the productive and disruptive behavior of young children in a free play situation. The…

An exploratory field study was conducted in 42 self-contained, elementary grade classrooms in 18 school buildings. Subjects were 1,030 fifth-grade students. The purpose of the study was to determine the range of physical environmental conditions in the classrooms; and how students' perceptions of the physical environment (1) describe the…

Two studies combining teacher questionnaires, classroom observation, and pupil interviews were conducted to contrast formal and informal teaching practices in open plan and conventional classrooms. Study I sampled 12 teachers of classes including second year junior pupils (8-9 years of age); Study II sampled 30 teachers, including 13 with mixed…