スウェーデンの小中学校におけるアクティブ・ラーニングのための家具等の配置特性

抄録

 Introduction: Pupils need to be prepared to be resilient and adaptable as society undergoes various changes over their lifetime. The Revisions of the Courses of Study for Elementary and Secondary Schools were enacted in 2017, and they call for improvement of teaching methods through the use of active learning methodologies. In addition to that, having more pupils using portable computers brings changes in the ways of learning and space implications. The choice of furniture and its arrangement is a critical factor in the success of the space. This paper aims to grasp characteristics of furniture and furniture layout for active learning.

 Methods: Three comprehensive schools in Sweden were chosen as the basis for this study because they provide their own specialized education and cater for learning environments with a variety of furniture. The principals were interviewed about their pedagogical methods and how they use the learning spaces. Furniture and its arrangement in the open spaces were studied. Specs of the furniture including shape and dimension were measured and the furniture layouts were drawn. 98 samples of furniture were drawn from these investigation schools. Each piece of furniture was represented as a combination of these 4 factors, face direction, height of work surface, wall numbers and the existence or non-existence of a circulation route behind the seat. The samples of furniture were classified into four types. The furniture layouts composed of furniture types and circulations were divided into two patterns.

 Results: The four types of furniture are Individual Work, Group Territory, Free Layout and Social Furniture. Individual Work Furniture indicates desks or chairs which pupils sit at or on a line, which suits individual work. Individual Work with no circulation route behind the seat can ensure more privacy because PC screens cannot been seen. Group Territory Furniture represents tables where people sit down or stand facing each other with two or more walls around the tables. Groups can feel that they have their own territories. Free Layout Furniture shows tables without or with just one wall. Tables and chairs of this type can easily been moved so that pupils can arrange their own spaces. Social Furniture has a circulation route behind the seat and is furniture without specifying a face direction such as rugs or stages or a high table that people can get together with no chair.

 The furniture layout patterns are divided into ‘Social Furniture at an Intersection’ and ‘Social Furniture Centered Layout’. In the former, Social Furniture is set on the intersection of circulation routes and other types of furniture are set alongside the circulation routes. Social Furniture is where students are taught by teachers away from the individual working area. It is suitable for individual learning. In the latter, Social Furniture is set in the middle of open space and surrounded by other types of furniture. Social Furniture offers a place where a number of pupils can gather and have discussions or presentations. It supports a range of activities.

 Discussion: Pupils work individually, in small groups or as a whole group in active learning. Learning environments must change to enable them to take on a variety of learning experiences, whether different teachers, different co-learners, different places or different styles of learning. Open spaces with furniture will contribute to active learning which is often difficult to achieve if all learners are taught through lecture-style teaching in an institutional classroom. The location of Social Furniture is a key factor as well as the provision of different types of furniture. Social Furniture in the center of an open space can connect a range of activities.