Browsing by Author "Laine, Tea"

Objectives. The holistic development process of school culture and its learning environments re-quire systematic participation of students as well as their voices to be heard. This study examined students’ experiences of learning and studying in flexible learning spaces, in the context of one primary school in Helsinki, Finland. The aim of the study was to research what kind of meanings the students themselves give to the different features of the learning spaces and furniture. The study also aimed to analyze means by which the students chose their preferred place to learn. Methods. This study was carried out as a descriptive case study. The research material was conducted and collected as part of the Growing Mind research project which was funded by the Strategic Research Council of Finland. The data consists of nine group interviews, field observations during 16 lessons and 207 photographs taken by the students, and it was gathered during the academic year of 2022–23 in the authentic environment of the participating school. The rich data set of the study was analyzed using qualitative research methods such as inductive content analysis and thematic analysis. Results and conclusion. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the students wished for different things from the learning spaces. The results showed that the flexibility of the learning spaces could be seen as a key catering to the diverse wishes and needs of different students. In addition, according to the results, the students comprehended the possibility of choosing their own learning space or furniture to study on three levels: through the framework of the school's operating culture, the teacher's pedagogical decision-making, and the students’ own preferences. Finally, it was concluded that the study results emphasize the significant importance and meaningfulness of the students’ participation both as research participants and conductors of new research information providers. In the future, further research needs to be conducted about the development processes of new learning environments, and about the changes regarding the learning spaces especially from the students’ perspective.