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The aim of our research is to draw attention to school learning spaces that fulfil the needs of students and promote their well-being. With the aim of facilitating a deeper understanding of teachers' and students' views about well-being in the school setting, this research integrates self-determination theory with important insights between teachers and students. The method used in the study is a collective case study. The research data have been collected through multiple sources, including face-to-face interviews, observations, and visual materials. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 students and 24 teachers at high schools in Türkiye. Observations were also made in 12 school environments. The findings of this study underline the significance of school learning spaces in fulfilling students' needs for autonomy (self-actualisation), competence (feeling capable of achieving desired outcomes), and relatedness to others (belongingness, forming close relationships) which promote students' well-being. The paper provides a deeper understanding of where well-being is enhanced in learning spaces and which learning environments need to be developed in Turkish high schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this opinion paper, I trace children's access to play in the urban context against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the news, civil society organizations' reports and conversations with experts working in Istanbul, Turkey during the last year, I show how children's access to public places in the city gets constrained by urban governance that neglects young people's needs. Examples from the neighborhoods of Istanbul, Turkey, indicate the importance of having in mind the whole community while thinking about bringing play opportunities in public spaces and at the same time raise questions about children's participation in these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]