Podcast: Research: 5 Principles of Superb Classroom Design

Before there’s curriculum or calendars or lesson plans, there’s the classroom space itself, stripped of last year’s posters and anchor charts. Where should teachers begin? We’ve got the answers.

In this back-to-school episode, editors Youki Terada and Steve Merrill review over 30 high-quality studies on classroom design and boil them down to five big takeaways, from how to use wall decoration to maximize student attention to why potted plants can alter student perceptions of the classroom—and the teacher, too!

Related resources:

• The Science of Classroom Design: Edutopia’s comprehensive, all-in, research-based look at the design of effective learning spaces.
• Flexible Classrooms: Research Is Scarce but Promising: An ambitious study of 153 classrooms in the United Kingdom provides the best evidence that flexible spaces can boost academic performance.
• Designing the Ideal Classroom Space: A thoughtfully designed classroom—and lesson—should always take into account the known limits of the student brain, says developmental psychologist Karrie Godwin.
• The Impact of Classroom Design on Pupils' Learning: Final Results of a Holistic, Multi-level Analysis: Researchers in the UK assessed 153 classrooms across 27 primary schools in England  to measure how the physical design of classrooms affects how kids learn. 
• The Sweet Spot for Classroom Decorations: Don’t go overboard when decorating your walls, a 2022 study warns. Try to hit the sweet spot: warm and lively, with visual aids that support learning.
• Telling the Story of Learning In Displays of Student work: When Charter Oaks International Academy educators display examples of student work in hallways and on bulletin boards,  both students and families benefit.
• Making the Most of Your Classroom Walls: Rachel Fuhrman, on why classroom walls don’t have to be Instagram-worthy so long as they display the right information and allow students to shine.