To publish 1 September
Over the past several decades, the design of public-school learning environments in Aotearoa New Zealand has undergone a profound transformation. Traditional classrooms, once characterised by fixed layouts, rows of desks, and teacher-centred instruction, have increasingly given way to flexible, technology-rich, and collaborative learning spaces. These changes have reflected wider shifts in educational policy, international trends, digital innovation, and evolving understandings of how people learn.
But what happens when educational aspirations meet the realities of practice?
This edited collection brings together leading researchers from across Aotearoa New Zealand to examine the promises, challenges, and complexities of innovative learning environments (ILEs). Moving beyond debates about architecture and furniture alone, the contributors explore how learning spaces interact with curriculum, pedagogy, technology, leadership, assessment, and community expectations. They investigate the ways physical environments can both enable and constrain participation, collaboration, creativity, and inclusion.
Drawing on contemporary research from schools throughout the country, the book offers critical reflections on the transition to flexible learning spaces and the diverse experiences of teachers, students, leaders, and whānau. It considers how educational spaces are shaped by broader social, political, and economic forces, while also examining the impact of recent developments, including the COVID-19 pandemic and changing attitudes toward where learning and knowledge work take place.
Rich in evidence, insight, and practical implications, this volume provides a timely update on the state of learning environments in Aotearoa New Zealand. It will be essential reading for educators, school leaders, policymakers, researchers, architects, and anyone interested in how the design of educational spaces influences teaching, learning, and the future of schooling.
Contributors
Leon Benade, Lucila Carvalho, Lynne Connor, John Everatt, Jo Fletcher, Justine Hui, William Keith, Jean Kim, Suzanne Purdy, Valance Smith, Louise Starkey, Georgina Tuari Stewart, Ben Twinn, Chien Ju Ting, Alastair Wells, Kate Westbrooke, Amanda Yates