Between a Model School and a Typical School. The Search for Optimal Conditions for School Spaces and the Preferences of Students from Poland

Abstract

The search for the optimal conditions of the school environment is carried out in many separate scientific disciplines, such as pedagogy, sociology and architecture. Representatives of social sciences and architects see the need for interdisciplinary research. In this article, I analyze the Polish context, both in terms of the search for patterns, models and types of schools, as well as their
implementation in various historical periods. The subject of my project is the search for an answer to the question of what the school space should be like. I conducted qualitative research among 12 students from different educational systems (urban public school, rural public school, private school, home education). Interviews supported by drawing elements using child-centered research methods made it possible to distinguish the material and non-material conditions of the spaces where children like to learn the most. The aim of this article is to discuss the results of my own research in the context of Polish searches for optimal school environment conditions, in particular the shaping of models and types of schools. Based on the results of my research, it can be said that children really like and need a variety of activities and spaces. The results of my research, by exploring and describing the needs of students, allow me to re-approach the topic of shaping school spaces with the use of patterns.