| Abstract [eng] |
Transformation of school spaces is a current educational trend influenced by sociocultural factors. The concept of modern education has changed significantly from the teaching model of the previous century, which was mainly focused on satisfying power relationships. Today, the learner is at the center of education, and the physical space is considered “the third teacher”, an important element of education. Previous research in Lithuania has mostly focused on the impact of physical school spaces or specific parts of them on education. The lack of a comprehensive understanding of school spaces, encompassing not only physical but also social and virtual aspects, prompted this study. Its object is the transformation of school spaces, and its aim is to explore the perspectives of teachers (key actors and educational leaders in school spaces) on the changes in school spaces influenced by sociocultural contexts in order to determine the extent to which school spaces enable or restrict teachers' actions and use in education now and in the future. The study involved 12 teachers working in public and private schools. A semi-structured interview method was used, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The empirical research revealed that teachers see spaces as an important element of education, but they often do not reflect on them. The transformation of school spaces influenced by sociocultural contexts both delights and challenges teachers: renovated spaces are increasingly adapted to various educational needs, but the rapid integration of technologies and virtual learning spaces hinders the creation of close relationships with students, which teachers consider the most important goal and reason for achieving good learning outcomes. Therefore, it is not possible to fully replace the physical school building with virtual space in the future, nor can artificial intelligence replace teachers. In general, teachers have many opportunities to conduct education in various internal and external spaces within or outside the school, and to apply informal methods, but this is limited by the requirements to fulfill the general educational programs, as well as the lack of time and/or experience. In renovated rooms, the freedom of teachers to create is limited - even affixing artifacts specifically designed for the educational process on the walls is not allowed. Teachers would like to have more spacious and multifunctional classrooms that they wouldn't have to share with other teachers. |
