This study aims to investigate the axes for estimating the elementary school environment. There are many elements which seems to have an effect on pupil's cognition of school environment. Among them, three elements (school scale, learning program, and structure) were selected. A questionnaire survey concerned with the school environment was carried out to 11 elementary schools which vary in these three elements. The subjects were 2892 pupils (forth-sixth grade). The questions were 103 items on various cognitions, such as space, class, teacher, etc. Using factor analysis, five factors (crowding and rule, autonomy, want for change, pliable use of space, and unity of class) were found, Four of them relate to these elements. Examining the characteristics of each type of school, the similarity between the open school and the small school, i.e. luck of the unity of class, was suggested.
