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Preschool design and child behaviour
Insights
Nursery school building design impacts child behavior. More open playrooms led to less schoolwork and fewer staff interactions, but more movement and active play for children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Early Childhood Education
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- Understanding how the physical environment of early childhood settings influences child development is crucial.
- Previous research has explored various factors, but the specific impact of building design on behavior requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze child behavior in relation to building design in nursery schools and day nurseries.
- To identify key building factors, such as playroom openness, that may influence children's activities and interactions.
Main Methods:
- Observation of twenty established and twenty newly arrived children in three nursery schools and two day nurseries.
- Matching of nursery school and day nursery pairs based on building design.
- Analysis of child behavior, including time spent on activities, staff contacts, and social interaction, in relation to environmental factors.
Main Results:
- Playroom openness was identified as the most significant building factor influencing child behavior.
- Children in more open units engaged less in school-oriented activities and had fewer staff contacts.
- Increased time was observed in moving around, inactivity, aggression, and active play in more open environments.
Conclusions:
- Building design, particularly playroom openness, significantly affects children's behavior patterns in early years settings.
- Social interaction was more influenced by the duration of nursery experience than by building design.
- Findings offer insights for aligning environmental design with educational staff aims and child development.
Abstract:
Twenty established children were observed in each of three nursery schools and two day nurseries. Two pairs of nursery schools and day nurseries were matched for building design. Twenty newly arrived children were also observed in each nursery school. Child behaviour was analysed in relation to building design; playroom openness appeared the most important building factor. Children in the more open units spent less time on school-oriented activities and received fewer staff contacts, but more time moving around, doing nothing, and in aggression and active play. Social interaction was little related to building design, but was affected by amount of nursery experience. The findings are discussed in relation to staff aims.