Inclusive classrooms

Teachers must think about how their classrooms’ layout can have an influence on the subject they teach.

Traditional classrooms arranged in the rows of desks facing the teacher facilitate good organisation, paper passing, textbook/laptop use and ‘sit and listen’ teaching. However, some argue that such a layout hinders collaboration between students and hampers discussion.

In dispensing knowledge, a teacher’s role goes beyond lecturing. He must be aware how the classroom environment is going to influence the engagement of the students during the lecture.

For instance, in a computer-aided design classroom, computers and their desks will need to be the focus and will be difficult or impossible to move — in an art classroom, however, you’ll have more room to be creative with wall displays.

Similarly, an engineering ethics class involving a lot of group discussions will be better conducted by nested desks where each group of students can have their discussions within their group.

Before the lecture, the instructor must ask himself — do the students need to see each other during the lesson? Do they need to work in groups?

Working in groups can be better facilitated with nested tables, and students can see each other better when the students are in a horseshoe-shaped configuration. If a board is to be used the instructor will need to make sure all students can see it in all the possible configurations. One may try sitting in different seats around the classroom and think about how effective the teaching will be from different seats.

Also, consider what resources pupils will use. If the lesson relies heavily on the use of textbooks, the class will require desk space for the pupils, but discussion-led learning may benefit from a layout which does away with desks altogether. In this instance, consider putting the tables around the edges of the classroom and the chairs in a circle in the middle to create a fun and stimulating discussion environment. If you have a group of students who will be working on a separate task to the rest of the class, they could benefit from a nested group of tables to work without distraction from the other students.

As the teachers are taking the roles of facilitators of learning, the classroom designs are gaining more importance.

University of Salford, in 2012, tracked the students’ performance in one academic year. They concluded that classroom design can enhance students’ performance by 25% impacting their curiosity, engagement, creativity, well-being, motivation and ultimately learning outcomes.

This arrangement becomes even more crucial when dealing with students with special needs. An autistic student, for example, might have an established preferred place to sit, and changing it without notice could cause distress. A section of the classroom with bookshelves to provide a quiet “time out” space is essential for students who are sensitive to stimuli. If the class has children with physical disabilities, teachers will need to rearrange the classroom with access in mind.

A dull classroom on the other hand can make students bored and unstimulated leading to academic boredom — a growing phenomenon in an educational context. Researchers like Daschmann, Goetz and Stupnisky claim that boredom in school can be seen as the “plague” of modern society. The research shows that different degrees of boredom can lead to different forms of learning behaviour and learning outcomes in school.

Aside from the furniture, temperature, light and air quality play their part in learning. Something as simple as opening a window can have huge effects on pupils’ learning and reduce behavioural issues by making the environment more comfortable.

The layout of your classroom tells your new students about your teaching style and philosophy. A more open and creative space tells them that you are an approachable teacher, so don’t be afraid to make changes!

It is time for us to understand the psychology of learning and adopt innovative pedagogies that can help students meet the challenges of the present world.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2023.

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