A child creates his own space: architectural, pedagogical and psychosocial factors
Abstract
For education in Greece, research has shown that behind the architectural planning of schools exists stereotypical architectural and pedagogical conceptions which form a «space of rules», of which the basic criterion is «what child should do» and not «what child is». But what are the elements which the child himself can create, based on his own criteria in this specific educational framework? And what is the relationship between the space created by the child and the stereotypical version of the space created for the child, which is provided by the Greek educational system?
To respond to these questions, our research examines the procedure whereby children of a kindergarten in Thessaloniki create their own spaces, redesigning, in a symbolic way, their classroom space and compares the characteristics of that space with those of their actual classroom. Our research approaches the subject in an interdisciplinary way. It studies architectural, pedagogical and psychosocial parameters together, which enable the formation of a global image of the research field. This approach is based on the observation of children’s space practices and the study of associated communication and interaction forms.
The main objective is to examine if data related to the arrangement and use of space by the child should be included in the architectural design of the school space, so that this space will avoid the existing architectural and pedagogical stereotypes. Results indicate a system of architectural, pedagogical and psychosocial criteria, which, if applied, the «space for the child» can incorporate the «space of the child» and coexist with that at school.
Article Details
- Section
- THEMATIC FIELD Ι Transformations of schools’ spaces and educational change
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