Search

The expansion of higher education has created issues with the structure and makeup of universities as well as an increase in student enrolment. As a result, most higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa, especially those that were historically underprivileged, are plagued with deteriorated or non-existent physical infrastructure that cannot keep up with the rise in student enrolment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the venue capacity constraints on teaching and learning in HEIs. The desktop analysis method was used to discover and assess relevant material in the context of venue capacity restrictions on teaching and learning in higher education. This was done by using Google Scholar, ISI, ProQuest and Scopus search engines to find these studies, using terms like overcrowding, venue constraints, students and lecturers and universities in general. The findings of the article reveal that when classrooms become crowded, it may be difficult for lecturers to give each student the individualised attention they need to truly understand the topic. This might result in frustration and mental tiredness, which may reduce student involvement even further. The article concludes that institutions should invest in building bigger lecture halls to help students engage with their lecturers and comprehend the subject matter more thoroughly. Contribution: The study will contribute to theory, managerial and practice by analysing the impacts of overcrowding in HEIs and its effect on students' academic performance.

Though schools do not track in Brazil, I find that racial classroom segregation in Brazil is on par with recent estimates from North Carolina high schools (Clotfelter et al., 2020). How does racial classroom segregation occur without tracking, and in a supposed "racial paradise," no less? Using national, student-level data spanning from 2011 to 2017, I describe racial classroom segregation among Brazilian 5th and 9th graders and assess potential mechanisms identified in the literature. The findings are consistent with segregation by chance in which: (1) schools initially segregate students by using effectively random classrooms assignment practices and (2) schools choose to move forward with these initial assignments, even when they are highly segregating, rather than make race-conscious adjustments. This is consistent with the myth of racial democracy, a prominent colorblind ideology in Brazil that promotes the legitimacy of de facto racial segregation and undermines the legitimacy of race-conscious desegregation.

The growth in active learning classrooms represents a major shift in the pedagogy and built environment of higher education. While a robust literature exists to discuss the development, use, and evaluation of these innovative learning spaces, the practical considerations of managing innovative learning spaces has not received the same level of attention. This article describes the management model at Queen's University, outlining key workflow considerations: committee size, cross-campus representation, and decision-making power. The conclusion sets out future research opportunities related to the institutional dynamics of innovative learning space management.

Using undergraduate students in the research methods course in Child Development as participants and keeping the instructional approach consistent, this study examined two research questions. The first research question tested the effect of two classroom settings, active learning classrooms (ALCs) versus computer labs, on students' learning. The results found that students in ALCs performed marginally better than computer labs for overall course grades and papers, but not for exams. The second research question tested the relationship between the reduction of negative feeling state and learning and investigated whether the relationship differed based on the classroom setting (ALCs vs computer lab). There were differential relationships between the reduction of negative feeling state and the performance of specific assignments by classroom settings. This study highlights the complexity of the impact classroom settings might have on students' learning and how it might be related to students' emotional states and their learning.

Inclusion of autistic pupils into mainstream schools is common practice and staff should have adequate knowledge on teaching and managing classroom behaviour. However, autism knowledge among teaching staff may be inconsistent. A mixed-methods design examined differences between school staff in autism knowledge, perceived barriers to inclusion and required support. 138 early years staff, school teachers and pupil support assistants took part. Knowledge and experience were assessed using Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers questionnaire (KCAHW; [Bakare, M. O., P. O. Ebigbo, A. O. Agomoh, and N. C. Menkiti. 2008. Knowledge about childhood autism among health workers (KCAHW) questionnaire: description, reliability and internal consistency. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health 4 (1): 17]). Qualitative measures addressed perceived barriers to inclusion and recommended supports. Significant differences in the knowledge of autism scores were shown.. Similar themes were identified across all staff, with five themes reflecting barriers to inclusion (Knowledge, Support, Training, Management of ASC features and Parent involvement) and four themes relating to required support (Individualising educational experience, Changes to learning spaces, Opportunities to learn about ASC and Communication). Government inclusion policy should take a whole school approach and consider staffs' actual and perceived barriers to inclusion of autistic children.

Flexible technology-rich learning spaces such as Future Classroom Labs (FCL) have a large potential for developing teacher education (TE) students' professional digital competence through engaging in authentic collaborative learning experiences with digital technology. However, there are limited reports on how students perceive and enact the affordances existing in such learning spaces. This paper reports on how one such FCL can facilitate collaborative learning among TE students. The paper poses two research questions: 1) How does the FCL as a learning space accommodate for collaborative learning? and 2) How do the artefacts promote or limit collaboration among students at the FCL? The data were collected through observations of four sessions of group work at the FCL, each having a different group of 15-16 first-year TE students. The results suggest that the FCL promoted collaborative work in terms of finding and building groups, monitoring, and resource-sharing across the small groups. However, students depended on external guidance from a teacher or student assistant to understand the technical sides of the artefacts, and their educational potential. Therefore, the implication is that in their first visits to FCLs, students need guidance to get started with the distinct tasks, and to master the various devices.

This paper examines the technologisation of the pedagogical space "classroom". We will discuss the development and establishment of the subject-specific classroom system in the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany, 1949-1989) by taking a closer look at organisational-structural conditions and responsibilities, as well as at the functioning and challenges that emerged during the implementation of subject classrooms. The furnishing of the subject classroom with seating, desks, teaching and learning objects including technical equipment, and storage furniture was planned down to the last detail and aligned to the requirements of the curriculum. We will concentrate on the classrooms for Physics and Music to highlight the peculiarities of this principle of school spatial organisation and its impact on social school practice. Our paper will focus on the political agenda and regulations, by drawing on sources from state-led research programmes. The article uses the concept of the classroom dispositif as a description of the programmatic claims. Thus, the subject-specific classroom could be considered as a technically shaped apparatus whose architectural structure determines pedagogical practices in their spatial, temporal, social, institutional, and technical dimensions.

At the same time teachers and administrators grapple with how to develop teachers' understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom, recent legislative sessions have unleashed a flood of legislation that seeks to limit teachers from teaching about race, racism, oppression, and injustice in U.S. schools. Teachers are struggling with how to balance student engagement and interest while also tackling these large, complex, and difficult topics. Unfortunately, the continued practice of using classroom simulations that attempt to undertake these difficult topics does not meet the challenge. This article examines the potential dangers when using classroom simulations to teach sensitive topics and provides strategies for teachers to create engaging and innovative lessons that educate and empower, and do not marginalize students in the process. To create classrooms that are safe and affirming, the practice of using classroom simulations needs a renewed examination, particularly ones that delve into culturally and historically sensitive topics.

This article begins by considering the radical changes that occurred in architecture throughout the twentieth century due to the influence of Le Corbusier and the ensuing movement of modernism. Though the building of schools was embroiled in this architectural movement, the classrooms within them remained broadly the same as they had been in the previous century, something that might pose a limit to the forms of education that take place within. Classrooms are then explored in the article in terms of their design and symbolic functions, both of which pertain to questions concerned with light, seeing, and the gaze. The article then introduces two key concepts that are useful for considering the gaze, Foucault's Panopticon and Lacan's psychoanalysis, to engage with the classroom architecture. Finally, the article proposes a rethinking of classroom architecture to encourage new forms of learning to take place.

Purpose: This study investigates the following research question: What pedagogical strategies are necessary for the success of HyFlex course design? The findings to this question are based in new media literacies and help to further pedagogy in an emerging HyFlex model while also grounding in needed theorization. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses design-based research (DBR) across two iterations and four doctoral, higher education courses, using mixed methods of data collection and analysis. Findings: Six pedagogical strategies influential for HyFlex research are presented, each grounded in a new media literacy skill. Originality/value: These six pedagogical strategies help practitioners grappling with the HyFlex or blended learning model merge traditional pedagogy with how this might be tailored for students entrenched in a participatory culture.

Existing research examines whether studying with teachers of the same race/ethnicity affects student achievement, but little is known about whether those effects vary by timing and frequency. We use 7 years of administrative data from third through eighth graders in Indiana to estimate the heterogenous links between same race/ethnicity teachers and achievement by school level (i.e., elementary vs. middle schools) and self-contained classroom (i.e., self-contained vs. departmentalized classrooms). We find that the positive links between same race/ethnicity teachers and improved achievement are stronger for elementary school students and students in self-contained classrooms, particularly for Black students. Our findings highlight the importance of timing and frequent exposure to same race/ethnicity teachers in academic trajectories.

Despite trending investment in active learning infrastructure to support student learning, inclusion, and career preparedness, few universities have achieved the orchestration of campus stakeholders and pedagogical reform "at scale." This article presents a process-oriented model for developing faculty and students for success in these evolving academic environments. Key features of the model developed include: holistic and strategic involvement of campus teams, rapid iteration of a portfolio of learning space types, and flexible, future-proofed spaces aligned with faculty preparedness. This approach can be translated to inform hyflex teaching and learning planning as institutions pivot to serve students in a post-pandemic world.

This article presents an evaluation of an active learning classroom (ALC) initiative at the University of Ottawa. Preliminary results indicate three broad trends to inform future practice and classroom design: 1) Despite advances in educational technology, there remains a strong appetite for low-tech, interactive learning opportunities; 2) Instructors feel that consistent institutional support is necessary to foster innovation in the classroom, particularly for course redesign; 3) a collaborative strategy, bringing together multiple institutional stakeholders, is necessary to ensure a whole-of-university approach to optimal use of the ALCs. This article briefly reviews ALC research, outlines the methodology of the program-evaluation protocol, discusses the three central findings, and concludes with potential directions in ALC research.

The Texas Woman's University Future Classroom Laboratory (TWUFCL) is a unique learning space designed for use by university faculty, future teachers, and local PreK-12 teachers and students. Part of the European Schoolnet's Network of Future Classroom Labs, the TWUFCL offers users the chance to explore the science of teaching and learning in a technology-rich environment containing a multitude of individual approaches and applications that are available to teachers throughout the U.S. Centered around the Four C's of 21st Century Learning: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. This unique learning space allows future teachers to explore technology and applications available in schools prior to student teaching. The space allows faculty to incorporate practical, interactive teaching experiences into coursework. Local K-12 teachers and students can use the innovative environment to explore ideas and applications they can take back to their own classrooms and use with students across the curriculum. The collaborative design approach to this evolving educational laboratory for training teachers and students included stakeholders from throughout the university and community in its state-of-the-art design described within.

Funded by the Association of College & Research Libraries through a 2018 Academic Library Impact Research Grant, the Activating Library Classrooms: Evaluating Formal Learning Spaces for Active Learning and Student Engagement project endeavored to evaluate the design and use of formal learning spaces situated within Penn State University Libraries. Researchers evaluated seven library classrooms and interviewed seven faculty collaborators at six Penn State University campuses in order to identify areas of strength and growth for formal learning spaces. The results affirm the significance of formal learning spaces in libraries and how they can demonstrate academic libraries' abilities to partner in university curricula and student success.

The main objective of the study was to understand specific ways in which a flexible, technology-enhanced space can create opportunities for student engagement. Despite a few studies that address classroom elements such as furniture, researchers argue for more-holistic attention to the materials of learning environments to better support the activities in which students engage. To address this gap, we designed this qualitative case study of the role of the physical structure of flexible classrooms on college students' engagement. Findings from the analysis of the data can be classified into three areas: (a) flexible room layout and movable furniture enabled participants to create settings that could support students' group interactions; (b) flexible room layout and movable tools enabled people to move around to enhance student-to-student and teacher-to-student interaction; and (c) through the movement of furniture and tools and movement of people, participants were able to easily transition between different activities. The easy movement of tools and furniture widens the range of available classroom configurations to optimize engagement opportunities. Similarly, the flexibility of the classroom allows for the relatively easy movement of people. Our data suggest that such flexibility can facilitate interaction and engagement among students and instructors to create opportunities to promote both cognitive and emotional engagement. Findings underscore the critical role of space, furniture, and tools in the creation of learning environments that support student engagement in higher-education settings.

Emerging research suggest that our education system must move towards learner centred curriculum and teaching methods. Following these suggestions, National Curriculum Framework (NCF) of 2005 emphasized on practicing learner centred approaches in teaching-learning i.e. constructivist approaches, and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) regulations 2014 suggested to make constructivist approaches based teaching-learning activities as an essential component of B.Ed. curriculum. In context to these initiatives, two important questions appear in our minds, whether those teachers already in teaching profession are familiar with constructivist approaches, and what challenges these teachers face regarding use of constructivist approaches in teaching-learning processes? Present paper tries to answer these two very important questions. The paper further presents a proposal to support awareness of teachers, and develop skills in practicing constructivist approaches based teaching-learning processes

There is value in being a lifelong reader and writer; yet, preservice teachers frequently do not exhibit these attributes. As an educator of future teachers, the author of this article reflects on practice. One goal in working with these education students is to develop their competencies in the use of literary strategies, with a secondary goal of encouraging the students' reading and writing beyond academic requirements. The author reflects on specific classroom activities and discussions which address the sharing of reading selections, the discussion of books and related films, the building of classroom libraries, and finally, the reciting and writing poetry. These specific practices are intended to promote voluntary reading and writing in preservice teachers so they will, in turn, promote reading and writing among their own students.

The primary purpose of this study was to design a reliable and valid continuous-time coding tool for measuring teacher use of space and teacher interactions based on prior research (Hesler, 1972; Martin, 2002). The tool captured teachers' use of space as they moved through 14 identified areas of the large instrumental ensemble classroom and engaged in 10 types of verbal and musical interactions with students. Evidence for content validity is presented, and the tool was found to have high inter-rater reliability. The secondary purpose of the study was to explore the effect of a brief expository lesson on preservice instrumental music teachers' use of classroom space and proximity while teaching, with specific emphasis on teachers moving away from the podium and toward and among students. The expository intervention changed teachers' use of space during the lesson immediately following the intervention (i.e., teachers spent less time on the podium and more time moving toward and among students), but the behaviors did not persist over time.

The key purpose of this research is to discuss the role of trajectory movements from education and awareness of sustainability perspective in the higher educational sector. The study analyzes how the trajectory movement of students in various academic places of their interest influences sustainable academic performance. A person-administered survey approach was conducted initially followed by a focus group interview. The results of this research revealed that there are innumerable differences among university learners in terms of trajectory movement, and most of the students care only about a few common learning places like classrooms or laboratories. However, there are other trajectory movements that directly or indirectly influence sustainable academic performance. The research findings suggest that students and academicians are aware of not only the frequent trajectory movements, such as in the classroom, laboratory, and library but also the other trajectory movements inside and outside the campus which may severely affect sustainable academic performance. This study focuses on discovering the relationship between university students' trajectory movement tendencies and sustainable performance in higher educational institutions to fulfill sustainable development goals and how trajectory movements affect students' educational performance in various ways to ensure a better academic outcome for sustainable development.

Teaching in new kinds of learning environments could prove challenging, and a successful transition is facilitated by user involvement. This article reports results from the planning and rebuilding phase of a multi-zone flexible learning environment. On two occasions, one virtual and one on-site walk-through, two groups of secondary school teachers conducted pre-occupancy evaluations, indicating possibilities, challenges and activities in the four zones visited. Analyses of their perceptions of affordances, inspired by Gibson, indicated two kinds of material affordances: organisational and educational. Organisational affordances had a major influence on the kinds of educational activities that were described. Rather than coming up with new types of activities, it seemed as though their pre-occupation evaluation of the flexible learning environment made teachers consider new ways of organising the existing activities. An analytical model, TEALE, illustrating teachers' evaluations of learning environments is introduced, and further research on organisational dimensions of learning environments is suggested.

Despite new circumstances of teaching art on a cart, meaning the art teacher is moving from classroom to classroom to implement lessons from the position of guest, it was realized that the author could employ Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) as a method to deliver a choice-based curriculum that supports social-emotional growth. As pioneers of TAB, Douglas and Jaquith (2018) defined TAB as "a PreK-12 learner-directed approach that meets the needs of all learners through choice, agency, flexibility, and emergent curriculum." The author incorporated TAB as a pedagogical starting point to scaffold student learning of artistic behavior within meaningful concepts. In this article, the author presents how art on a cart reframed pedagogical practice to support social-emotional growth.

Student evaluations of teaching may be subject to halo effects, where answers to one question are contaminated by answers to the other questions. Quantifying halo effects is difficult since correlation between answers may be due to underlying correlation of the items being tested. We use a novel identification procedure to test for a halo effect by combining a question on lecture-room capacity with objective information on the size of the lecture room. We confirm the presence of halo effects but show that the responses to the contaminated question remain informative. This suggests that the distortion in the evaluation questionnaires caused by halo effects need not be a concern for higher education institutions.

Distance learning is expanding rapidly in universities. While theoretical and qualitative literature stress the critical role of effective interpersonal interactions in motivating students and facilitating learning in online environments, quantitative evidence on the benefits of increased interpersonal interactions on student learning outcomes is limited. This study examines the effect of providing a voluntary in-person meeting time in a physical classroom and increasing instructor email activity in a fully online precalculus course at a public university. We examine student final exam score and course grade as outcome variables. Student selection into courses was minimal since students only had access to one treatment condition at a time. We further used a propensity score matching strategy to address demographic variations in student characteristics across cohorts. Our results indicate that the increased interpersonal interaction opportunities increased final exam scores by 0.22 standard deviations and improved passing rates by 19 percentage points. Rosenbaum's sensitivity analysis indicates that it is unlikely that these results are due to omitted variable bias.

Over half of the school facilities in America are in poor condition. Unsatisfactory school facilities have a negative impact on teaching and learning. The purpose of this correlational study was to identify the relationship between high school science teachers' perceptions of the school's science environment (instructional equipment, demonstration equipment, and physical facilities) and ninth grade students' attitudes about science through their expressed enjoyment of science, boredom with science and value of science. A sample of 11,523 cases was extracted from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS:2009), a nationally representative survey of ninth graders located throughout the United States. The research design was multiple linear regression. The results showed a weak and yet significant relationship between the science classroom conditions and students' attitudes. Demonstration equipment and physical facilities were the best predictors of effects on students' attitudes. The results from this study show the importance of appropriate school facility and resource planning as well as areas for future research.

In Texas, state policy anticipates that installing video cameras in special education classrooms will decrease student abuse inflicted by teachers. Lawmakers assume that collecting video footage will prevent teachers from engaging in malicious actions and prosecute those who choose to harm children. At the request of a parent, Section 29.022 of the Texas Education Code (2015) will protect students who are unable to speak for themselves from bullying and abuse by installing video surveillance cameras in special education classrooms. The purpose of this article is to describe the law in Texas, the impact of the bill on classrooms, to raise questions about the implementation of the law, and to provide recommendations for school administrators.

Having experienced preliminary success in designing two active learning classrooms, Lethbridge College developed an additional eight active learning classrooms as part of a three-year initiative spanning 2014-2017. Year one of the initiative entailed purchasing new audio-visual equipment and classroom furniture followed by installation. This significant increase in scale created opportunities to expose an even broader group of instructors and students to active learning classrooms. Year one research entailed investigating student and instructor perceptions on three topics, (1) equipment and technology, (2) learning environment design and (3) interaction. Collectively, twelve key findings and eight recommendations were generated.

Higher education institutions are increasingly building or remodeling classrooms to be flexible spaces that support learner-centered instruction. However, little is known about the actual impact of these spaces on student outcomes. Using a mixed method design, this study examined student perceptions of a flexible learning space on student learning and engagement as compared to traditional classrooms. Students reported that the flexible space enhanced their learning experience by supporting classroom engagement. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating student perceptions when planning learning spaces and suggests a need for further studies on the complex relationships among space, student learning and motivation.

The classroom display in elementary schools usually reflects the teacher's efforts and vision. Upon entering an elementary school classroom one may often encounter visual overload. How can teachers determine the appropriate amount of elements to be on display? How can they create the accurate recipe for pleasant and efficient displays? It seems that, in practice, this might resemble Grandma's cake recipe, which was passed down from generation to generation. "Just put a little bit of this and not too much of that…" This article addresses these questions and provides best practices recommendations in an appendix.

Participation and engagement are important factors in students' academic achievement and in increasing interest and motivation in the learning process. This study evaluates participation and engagement in circle formations in both outdoor and indoor education settings. Over a four-week study period, four instructors collected data on different circle formations. The four circle formations tested are: instructor and students standing (allstanding); instructor and students sitting (all-sitting); instructor standing with students sitting; instructor sitting with students standing. Results from 86 observation forms show that students had the greatest active participation and engagement in the all-sitting circle formation. The traditional learning arrangement, with teacher standing and students sitting, had the lowest level of student participation and engagement. Eye level of instructor and students was thought to be a major factor influencing participation and engagement in the learning environment. Results obtained from this study will help inform educators in both traditional classroom and outdoor learning environments on effective teaching practices for increasing student participation and engagement.

This article focuses on the schools developed by Mary and David Medd within the Ministry of Education in Great Britain, 1949-1976. Their main contribution to the field of Educational Architecture was the definition of a design strategy known as "Built-in variety," where the self-contained classrooms ("empty-box-school") disappeared in favour of a variety of dissimilar places. Indeed, the Medds sustained a very innovative view from which primary educational architecture was profoundly reconceptualised, getting closer to a "home" than to an institution. Actually, the paper argues that it was precisely this driving principle -- school "as a home" -- that was responsible for the dismantlement of the traditional school types. This article proposes a close look into the design process as an object of study in its own right, in search for the underlying principles of the Medds' primary school designs. The acknowledgement of some features of the English house has been a good means of coming to understand the Medds' strategy and its domestic "aura," for the schools' spatial hierarchy recalls the internal spatial structure of Arts and Crafts houses of the late nineteenth century.

This paper examines the effect of the architectural layout of two classrooms (one flexible and one less-flexible) on Teaching Assistants' (TAs) movement and interactions with students. Four TAs from a first-year undergraduate introductory course were chosen for the two studies. In study 1, the TAs taught the same lesson twice to two groups of students on the same day but in different classrooms, thereby controlling for content differences. Study 2 investigated the impacts that flexible and non-flexible spaces have on the same cohort of students, as the TAs continued to teach the same students but the students switched classrooms for the second half of the course, thereby controlling for differences in student participants. From the video analyses, there was a clear difference in how the TAs moved in the classroom and the interactions they had with students. Both TAs and students reported in surveys that there was a difference in their movement in the respective rooms that had an impact on their teaching and learning quality. This finding starts the conversation on how space can affect TAs, in order for TAs to consider how their movement is affected by classroom configurations, and how this change in movement can affect teaching strategies and impact their students' learning

Over the past two decades, academic library spaces have evolved to meet the changing teaching and learning needs of diverse campus communities. The Information Commons combines the physical and virtual in an informal library space, whereas the recent Active Learning Classroom creates a more formal setting for collaboration. As scholarship has become increasingly digital and interactive, commons and classroom environments in academic libraries promote experimentation with new technology and accommodate millennial learning behaviors. The library, a centrally located and academically neutral campus space, provides an ideal place for classrooms and encourages interdisciplinary scholarship unbounded by specific academic departments.

This chapter addresses the confluence of theory and practice in developing and using "flexible" classrooms for student learning. A large classroom building renovation will be described, in terms of how collaboration and co-creation of value led to early success of the renovated space. Co-creation of value for staff and faculty can help overcome initial resistance to change, bridge understanding, and drive a successful change from lecturebased teaching to growing use of active learning pedagogies. At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, co-creation was central to planning, conducting, and sustaining a renovation of space into flexible, technology-enhanced classrooms and changing classroom pedagogy.

In this study, it was aimed to analyze the problems that the nursery school teachers, who worked in primary schools of Ministry of National Education in Agri city center in 2014-2015 academic years, experience in personnel services and general services according to the views of the teachers. In the direction of this purpose, phenomenology design, one of the qualitative researches, was used in the study. The sample of the study consisted of 24 teachers selected from 12 primary schools who had nursery class within itself in Agri city center. The findings of the study are as follow; the students have difficulty in waking up early in the morning in terms of personnel services, the teachers have difficulty as they do not have breaks and recess, the nursery class students utilize the opportunities of the school less because the hour of work is half-day, they have inadequate auxiliary staff, and it was determined in terms of general services that the classroom space is not adequate, the classroom is not heated properly, the materials are inadequate, the classroom does not get proper light, and sharing the classroom with others create problems.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of hearing aid-based rerouting systems (remote microphone [RM] and contralateral routing of signals [CROS]) on speech recognition and comprehension for children with limited usable hearing unilaterally. A secondary purpose was to evaluate students' perceptions of CROS benefits in classrooms. Method: Twenty children aged 10-16 years with limited useable hearing in one ear completed tasks of sentence recognition and comprehension in a laboratory. For both tasks, speech was presented from one of four loudspeakers in an interleaved fashion. Speech loudspeakers were either midline, monaural direct, or monaural indirect, and noise loudspeakers surrounded the participant. Throughout testing, the RM was always near the midline loudspeaker. Six established users of CROS systems completed a newly developed questionnaire that queried experiences in diverse listening situations. Results: There were no effects of RM or CROS use on performance for speech presented from front or monaural direct loudspeakers. However, for monaural indirect loudspeakers, CROS improved sentence recognition and RM impaired recognition. In the comprehension task, CROS improved comprehension by 11 rationalized arcsine units, but RM did not affect comprehension. Questionnaire results demonstrated that students report CROS benefits for talkers in the front and from the side, but not for situations requiring localization. Conclusions: The results support CROS benefits without CROS disadvantages in a laboratory environment that reflects a dynamic classroom. Thus, CROS systems have the potential to improve hearing in contemporary classrooms for students, especially if there is only a single microphone.

The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods research is to (1) analyse research on the problems in music education management in Thailand in the past 5-10 years and (2) explore the current resources of music education in Thai institutions under the Office of The Basic Education Commission (OBEC). The study found that (1) the problems regarding music education in Thailand were lack of experts, lack of music curriculum, lack of musical instruments and proper classrooms, administration systems, lack of budget, lack of music-related activities and disagreement in the perceptions of school directors and teachers; and (2) under the OBEC, there were 30,112 schools in total with 6,781,130 students in the 2018 academic year. As for music teachers, the majority, 68.9%, possess an educational background in music or music education. Overall, most of the schools of all sizes tend to lack Thai, Western and Thai folk musical instruments.

Classroom physical environment has been widely researched over the past few decades. In this respect, more recent attention has focused on the provision of structural and symbolic features; however, no study has been conducted to compare the structural and symbolic features of classroom physical environment in English as a foreign language (EFL) elementary learners' classrooms. To this end, 100 EFL elementary learners were recruited to participate in this study. They were assigned to two kinds of classrooms: Classroom A included both structural and symbolic features, but Classroom B only included structural features. The structural features were subsumed into lighting, acoustics, seating, and thermal comfort. The symbolic features were ornamental materials (e.g., posters, colorful balloons, and ropes of English numbers and letters) and two types of classroom layout (i.e., U-shaped and orderly row). The participants were required to complete a 22-item questionnaire with answers that ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The results indicated that both sorts of features seemed to be highly important for elementary learners; however, according to the learners' views, the symbolic features were considered to be of higher importance. The findings also revealed that lack of symbolic features significantly affected learners' opinions about structural features.

This article introduces the concept of "natural pedagogy" (NP) as a tool for envisioning and enacting second language learning and teaching. Currently popular in the social and cognitive sciences, NP theory holds that much adaptive human behavior is too complex and nontransparent to learn via observation, imitation, and trial-and-error alone: Something extra is needed. NP employs humans' remarkable "hyperprosocial" capacities/tools for interaction (e.g., gesture, gaze, facial expression, body movement, language) to effect "teaching-based learning." NP's appearance in the hominin lineage likely predated humans; it is probably therefore the original form of teaching-based learning. A much more recent invention--the classroom--is often portrayed as separated from the rest of the world in order to enable teaching-based learning. Yet the interactional tools of NP occur pervasively in classrooms as well, making classrooms in this sense substantially continuous with the rest of the world. In both cases, according to the argument developed here, our evolved communicative toolkit underlies teaching-based learning. This article is primarily conceptual in nature, representing a new departure in the TESOL field.

To promote participation and access to education, the government introduced free primary education. The introduction of FSE has resulted into increased enrolment at all levels which has been blamed for the poor performance of pupils in public primary school of Imenti Central District. The current study sought to determine the impact of enrollment on the quality of learning in primary schools in Imenti Central District. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 2 QASO officers in charge of Imenti Central district; giving a sample size of 382 participants. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used as tools for data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. The results of data analysis were presented using frequency distribution tables and bar graphs. The study established that high enrolment trends in primary schools led to overworking the staff members, inadequate teaching and learning facilities, poor sanitation facilities and inadequate classroom. The increased enrolment impacted to a great extent on the quality of learning in public primary schools. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that the government puts measures in place to avail facilities that match the pupils' enrolment.

This article reports on the quantitative research survey findings regarding the challenges related to the teaching and learning resources affecting small and medium sized public secondary schools in Kenya. The aim of this study is to investigate the secondary school principals' views on the teaching and learning resources related challenges facing small and medium sized secondary schools. The study took place in Nyamira County and adopted a quantitative survey design. The study is a quantitative survey involving 81 public secondary school principals. Questionnaires (both open and closed-ended, and rating scale items) were used to collect data. The resulting data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) producing descriptive data. 14.4 and 4.8% of small and medium sized secondary schools respectively lack a library resource; 8.4 and 2.4% of small and medium sized secondary schools respectively lack laboratory resource and one small school lack a sports facility. Besides, 16.8 and 19.2% of small and medium sized secondary schools respectively assessed library as poor or average; 26.4 and 21.6% of small and medium sized secondary schools respectively assessed the laboratory resource as poor or average; 21.6 and 15.6% small and medium sized secondary schools respectively assessed classroom as poor or average; 27.6 and 14.4% of small and medium sized secondary schools respectively assessed furniture as poor or average; 27.6 and 19.2% of small and medium sized schools respectively assessed staffing level as poor or average and 27.6 and 18% of small and medium sized secondary schools respectively assessed workshops as poor or average. Other resources assessed as poor or average include playgrounds and sports facility. In conclusion, some small and medium sized secondary schools lack library, laboratory and sports facility. Other small and medium sized secondary schools charged all the teaching and learning resources considered in this article unfavourably suggesting some concerns about them in relationship to teaching and learning process.

Contrarily to color research, white values of paint are the most commonly applied finish selection on classroom walls today. White walls have been used in American schoolhouse settings since the first discovered paint, also white, was invented and made available some two hundred years ago. Originally, white paint was seen as hygienic and structured in demeanor, and was used as an agent to enhance visual capabilities in closed settings due to dark-hued building materials and an absence of electricity. Since then, using white paint for classroom wall finishes has remained as a perpetual design tradition that is causing a disservice to our academic and educating potentials. White walls are proven to cause detrimental psychological effects, such as anxiety, disruptive behaviors, lack of focus, and depressive moods to students and educators that spend time within the space. These types of effects dull-down learning capabilities and discourage morale. Color research has proven these negative facts for over a century now, but white walls remain constant in our educational facility design from a fallacy of misperception largely due to tradition, misinformation, and ease of maintenance. The question is why.

Physical qualifications of group rooms are highly important in terms of child development during preschool education. First of all, the required space should be provided in order to create ideal conditions in a group room. The standards of the required space for a child in group rooms vary among countries. It is stated that in Turkey minimum 1.5 m2 space per child in group rooms is enough. This paper studies whether this standard rate, which is stated as insufficient according to various studies, is seen enough by the users; hence, 30 children and their teachers from three different kindergartens were interviewed. It is seen that the standards in Turkey which are considered as sufficient are actually not enough according to the comments of children and teachers. The purpose of this study is to present an example constructed on the idea that the standards should be defined according to the experiences of users, so to be able to reach the right solutions which meet the needs of users.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in a set of university classrooms and students' outcomes, i.e., satisfaction with IEQ, perceived learning, and course satisfaction. Data collected from students (N = 631) of University of Minnesota were analyzed to test a hypothesized conceptual model by conducting a path analysis. Findings suggested that IEQ of the classrooms, such as thermal conditions, indoor air quality, acoustic conditions, lighting conditions, furnishings, aesthetics, technology, and view conditions, was associated with positive student outcomes. Implications for classroom design were discussed with suggestions for future research.