Relationship of School Design to Educational Outcomes of Students

Introduction

Considerable evidences show that there is a clear and obvious relationship between

the physical attributes and arrangement of spaces within the school building, and the

educational outcomes of its students. Difficulty of students to learn and teachers to teach

are usually influenced by poor school conditions. Following the study done by SCRI’s

Senses, Brain and Spaces, it became evident that there is potential in studying the infusion

of design, construction and use of schools with understanding of sensory impacts and how

school buildings’ spaces affects its users. From this, a research activity by SCRI is being

developed entitled “Optimal Learning Spaces” which focuses on teaching and learning

levels at the micro-level rather than on educational policies or management. The research

activity aims to provide evidence base for what is considered an optimal learning space

through studying literature on design issues particularly on schools which explores sensory

impacts on spatial variables and its effect on learning process. It also aims to directly

discuss with potential and actual users of the school to gather information and to fully

understand the potential of spaces.

This research is based on a fundamental belief that by creating better built

environments, school planning and design can greatly boost teaching and learning

outcomes. The research aims to attest that improving the quality of the internal and external

learning environments ensures that students and teachers can enjoy effective

communication in comfortable spaces. It intends to link architecture to case-study

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examples of real schools in Dumaguete City that have recently been built and schools that

have never been renovated or redesigned before the year 2000, in order to provide a better

understanding of how to create outstanding, fit for purpose and friendly environments for

pupils and teaching staff alike, while ensuring that they also enjoy comfortable

communication and a productive school life. The study assumes that a school building can

only be deemed successful if its spaces support learning and create a positive experience

to its users.

The study focuses on the study of mainstream elementary schools in Dumaguete

City and its neighboring towns, and studies of elementary schools conducted around the

world and are published online or in journals. The study is divided into four sections. It

begins with an Introduction that presents the background about this project, including the

statement of the problem. The foundations are discussed in the second section, which

identifies the study procedure and related literature. The third part looks at the issues to

address the specific design strategies of schools – using the lessons from various case

studies to highlight what to consider and what to avoid. A number of recent case studies

from around the world are used throughout this section related to specific points – those

with supporting evidence of impacts are termed “confirmatory cases”, while those without

have been called “illustrative cases”. The final part summarizes the practical suggestions

drawn from this study and also introduces the work which should be carried out in the near

future.

To realize optimal design solutions is a complicated and challenging goal. This

research seeks to set the numerous opportunities within just a few major design principles

derived from the basics of how people experience spaces in response to the environmental

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data they gain through their senses. This leads to a focus on naturalness, individualization

and level of stimulation. While there is no standard or universal best school design or best

built environment, general principles of how physical spaces and the design of building

can support teaching and learning indisputably exist. By fusing the literature review and

case studies, it is possible to generate new design standards for elementary schools. One

has to look at designing from both inside out and outside in. Students are at the heart of

learning so their needs and comfort should be the center of a design process.

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 Statement of the Problem

Dumaguete City is popularly known as “University Town” all over the Philippines

for its numerous schools and universities which produce high-achieving and top-notching

students. Though more and more school buildings are being made and or being renovated

in the city, mostly believe that schools are just “containers” for students to learn and

teachers to teach. A lot are not aware that properly locating and designing a school building

or campus affect the academic achievement of students. In order to build an elementary

campus that does not only consider the aesthetics but thinks of ways that would influence

the positive learning outcomes of its students, the design process should be given so much

effort. The major problem that is to be faced now is how to design a campus that is far from

the design standards from what the people of Dumaguete are used to and to design a school

campus that would improve the quality of the internal and external learning environments

to ensure that students and teachers can enjoy effective communication in comfortable

spaces.

The given lot is located in Cimafranca Street, Daro, Dumaguete City. The lot is

estimated to be 4.8 hectares big and sits on a R-3 High-Density Residential Zone, which

currently is rapidly turning into a commercial area due to the hospital that is currently being

constructed adjacent to the given lot and cafes and restaurants sprouting around the whole

neighborhood. Pursuing to build a campus on this zone may have positive and even

negative effects to both the school, its students and staff, and the existing homes around

the lot. It is also a question on how building a campus there would be beneficial to the

learning experience of the students and favorable for the surrounding existing structures

and establishments on the area.

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 Conceptual Framework

•psychological effects of
building architectural design of
(exterior &
interior
school buildings to users
design) (shape, scale, color,
materials, et.)

•effect of site to users

•R-3 high-density
residential area
site location
•site orientation
•surrounding houses,
establishments

circulation •movement of people

pattenrs •vehicular & human traffic

•orientation of buildings
with regards to sun and
wind
architectural/
building layout •existing lot location and
how it affects heat
absorption in building and
NW, SE monsoon

•daylighting, natural
ventilation, psychological
open spaces/ effects,
greeneries •green architecture,
landscape