This report details exploratory research undertaken by Newcastle University from November 2022 to May 2023. The aim of this exploratory project was to develop, trial and evaluate approaches to providing indications of how outdoor space is being perceived, used and valued by students in four schools -- to ascertain which approach (or approaches)…

Internal isolation has become a mainstay of behaviour management across UK schools. However, despite the extensive use of isolation rooms/booths (IRBs), the supporting evidence-base for such measures remains scant. In contrast, there is growing concern about the impact such punitive spaces have on well-being. This study used the methodological…

Through an examination of "In-Common Sites," conducted with young people to investigate their relationship with Mousehold Heath in Norwich, this article considers the possibilities of performance to not UK, only represent a spatially defined urban common but also to enact a commons. It is argued that performance is a generative social…

Intentional approaches to designing and structuring learning environments apply outdoors as well as indoors, but the value of freedom and unrestricted play outside is well known. However, several factors influence teachers' provision of freedom within outdoor activities, and it is important to reflect on these variables and appropriate degrees of…

This article brings a novel perspective to the relationship between the physical dimensions of Home Learning Environments (HLE) and young people's learning motivations during COVID-19 pandemic in UK. The architectural/physical focus of this investigation helps orient the reader to the literature/expertise I draw on. Based on 28 young people (16-18…

Playtimes in English primary schools are a perennial and mainly enjoyable event. They are, however, largely overlooked in educational reform and have experienced 'benign neglect'. The paper presents the findings from a research project which investigated the playtimes of primary school children. Questionnaire data gathered by pre-service teachers…

Educational change is known to be challenging and therefore research exploring the conditions that seem to facilitate change is important. The literature relating to school level change shows some awareness of the part played by the physical school environment, but the role of the school premises in change is rarely the focus of research rooted…

This study aims to improve understanding of the design studio as a setting where formal and informal pedagogies intersect. We argue that the informal dimension of learning has an essential but under-acknowledged role in contributing to the development of design students. Our research focuses on students' everyday routines and their associated…

At a time when government funding cuts mean that public libraries face an uncertain future and need to make sure they stay relevant to young users and their families, this paper explores what counts as literacy for young children in a public library in a town in the East Midlands, UK. It is based on a study which adopted an ethnographic approach,…

Aim: This study gathered views of 10 to 12-years-old pupils about their play experiences before and after transition to secondary school, comparing access to their right to play. Method: A multiple-case study design was used to gather views of six Year 6 primary pupils and six Year 7 secondary pupils living in the same community in the United…

This article is concerned with the influences that are brought to bear on the design of school buildings and the effects that the design of these buildings have on those who teach and learn in them. The article also focuses on the ways in which design is altered in and through the practices of these occupants. We argue that there is a mutual…

To date, learning spaces in higher education have been designed with little engagement on the part of their most important users: students and teachers. In this paper, we present the results of research carried out in a UK university. The research aimed to understand how students and teachers conceptualise learning spaces when they are given the…

This article considers the understandings of space and place amongst a group of disaffected students within an institution that had been in a state of flux over a number of years. The article explores ways in which students are positioned by institutions into specific spaces, ways in which they use those spaces to challenge authority and ways in…

Spatial design as a discipline relies on the psychological construct of space. In the light of shortcomings and challenges faced by traditional approaches to spatial design learning, this paper investigates the role and value of Virtual Reality (VR) as a pedagogic vehicle. Based on understandings informed by action-research using VR with learners…

This paper presents an alternative method for learning space design that is driven by user input. An exploratory study was undertaken at an English university with the aim of redesigning technology-enhanced learning spaces. Two provocative concepts were presented through participatory design workshops during which students and teachers reflected…