Every teacher knows that a safe, clean, comfortable and attractive classroom can stimulate

learning and help built a classroom community. But for many teachers, setting up the physical

environment of their classrooms can be quite daunting, especially when faced with older

buildings, crowded classrooms and insufficient storage space. This can be best achieved by

making the most of your classroom environment by carefully considering your needs and the

needs of your students. The writer shall start by defining the term physical learning environment.

Secondly, he shall examine any four factors that need to be considered when creating a physical

learning environment. The four factors are safety, health, physical layout and size of the physical

learning environment. Thirdly, he shall give conclusive remarks.

Fullan (2001) defined a physical learning environment as the general physical characteristics of

the room. Such characteristics may be in the form of room size, room temperature, desk

arrangement, carpeting, desk positioning, chair arrangement, computer location, and table

arrangement. Therefore it is important to arrange the physical resources to produce a flexible

learning environment that meets differing learning goals such as the need for students to work in

groups as well as individually.

One of the first major factors a teacher needs to consider when creating a physical learning

environment is the safety of the learning environment. Leaners need to be safe both in the

classroom and science laboratory, (Dudek, 2000). The classroom and science laboratory floors

must not be slippery and any watery substances must be instantly wiped off floors to avoid

hazards.

The science teacher needs to ensure that that are poisonous or highly flammable science

laboratory chemicals such as methylated spirit, ammonia gas and chlorine are safely locked up

when not in use. This will prevent teacher and learner poisoning and fires in the laboratory. The

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teacher also needs to ensure that all laboratory experiments conducted by students are adequately

supervised for the safety of learners. Students at times get carried away and may endanger

themselves if not properly supervised. The teacher also needs to manage the number of students

in a classroom or laboratory at an instance since overcrowding in the classroom or science

laboratory may result in congestion and injuries to learners.

Hazards may at times occur in the classroom and especially in the science laboratory. Such

hazards may be in the form of fires outbreaks, spilt toxic chemicals or poisonous gases such as

ammonia or nitrogen dioxide. The classroom or laboratory must offer learners convenient exit

points to escape danger. It is therefore the duty of the teacher to educate learners of safety

precautions and how to identify and escape from dangers that may occur both in the science

laboratory or classroom.

The classroom or science laboratory needs to be located in an environment that is as far away as

possible from external hazards such as air pollution or noise pollution just to name a few. Noise

pollution reduces the rate of productivity especially when learners and teachers are performing

tasks that require attention to detail, concentration and precision.

The health factor is an important consideration when a teacher is creating a physical learning

environment, (Marton, 1997). Health within a classroom or laboratory is of paramount

importance. Environmental factors such as temperature, cleanliness, lighting and noise level

affect learners in a different way. A teachers needs to correct the environment to students

likings, the students will perform better academically and will be well behaved.

The teacher needs to create both well-lit and dimly-lit areas in the classroom. This can be

achieved in classrooms and science laboratories by using bookcases, curtains, plant life and other

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cabinets. Some students learn best in bright light but others do significantly better in low light.

Too much or too little sunlight may have devastating effects on the eyesight of a learner.

The teacher needs to ensure that the classroom or science laboratory temperature is ideal for

effective learning. For instance in Zimbabwe temperatures tend to be very hot in the month of

October and very cold in the month of June. Such extremes in temperature variation can

negatively affect the students concentration and academic performance. If possible, the teacher

can manage temperature by adjusting temperature regulators such as air conditioners. However,

this may to some extent be a challenge as many most classrooms in Zimbabwe lack such

facilities. The teacher will only be left with two options of either opening or closing of classroom

windows in order to manage such temperature variations.

The teacher has to ensure that the classroom or laboratory is always clean. This means that the

classroom or science laboratory furniture, windows, equipment or floor are clean at all times.

They should be free from dirt and dust. All litter on the floor has to be picked up and thrown into

the dustbin. Very high levels of cleanliness are a prerequisite especially in the science laboratory

where poisonous chemicals and gases such as chlorine, nitrogen dioxide and ammonia are

handled.

Ventilation is an important aspect in a classroom or science laboratory environment. The teacher

should ensure that there is adequate circulation of fresh air in the classroom. This help improve

the comfort of both the teacher and learners and reduce the possibility of respiratory

complications. This is particularly important in hot summers when both the teacher and students

will be heavily perspiring and releasing uncomfortable odors and they tend to easily fall asleep.

Both the science teacher and learners work with harmful substances such as ammonia which can

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lead to adverse respiratory complications if inhaled in excessive quantities. Therefore the science

laboratory needs to be well ventilated.

The presence and caring for live plants can give the classroom a warm and comfortable feel. The

teacher can encourage the growing and management of plants in a classroom or science

laboratory. This can help teach students responsibility and science. The teacher can delegate

students, especially grownup students to care for the class plants. They can make sure that the

plants receive adequate water, light and air. Such simple activities will give students a sense of

responsibility and usefulness, this can intrinsically motivate them.

The physical layout of the classroom or laboratory is another key factor the teacher needs to

consider when creating a physical learning environment, (Fullan, 2001). Warm and well-run

classrooms begin with the rooms physical design. The organization of desks and working space,

the lure and appeal of bulletin boards, the storage of materials and supplies reflect the teachers

style. If students want to work in partnership in small groups, for example, the teacher needs to

organize them around tables or clusters of desks. In many classrooms, the largest amount of

space is devoted to the arrangement of individual desks. A teacher may need to arrange desks in

cooperative groups of four, U-shaped configuration or where everyone has a front row seat.

Every student must have a good visual of the teacher and writing board. However, the most

appropriate desk arrangement will depend on the particular task at hand.

The classroom arrangement needs to provide learners with sufficient opportunities to move

around. Students need extensive mobility while learning and they may need to move from one

area to the other as they may require new information. This movement is important especially

when learners are conducting an experiment. The teacher needs to assess the basic elements in a

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classroom such as the floor plan. The floor plan should maximize classroom space and reflect the

teachers individual teaching style.

Fraser (1991) suggested that the classroom or science laboratory furniture must be appropriate.

For instance science laboratory stools are more suitable as opposed to chairs when a learner is

conducting a science experiment. On the other hand chairs are more suited for the classroom as

compared to science laboratory stools. Room dividers should be low so that all areas are visible

to the teacher. The teacher should ensure that areas that invite group work should not be next to

quiet areas where students read or study independently. However, this may not always be

possible in Zimbabwe classrooms which have limited space. The teacher must arrange things so

that he is always be able to make eye contact with all students. This is crucial in a science

laboratory where the teacher needs to observe what each and every student is doing during

science experiments.

The teacher needs to ensure that the classroom of laboratory decorations are attractive and

interesting. Interesting and attractive visual aids such as posters are key components of an

effective classroom. Wall decorations should be colorful, appealing and relevant to current

classwork. They should be rotated and refreshed frequently. The teacher needs to set aside a

section of the bulletin board for childrens posts, drawings, written work and other projects. Each

students work needs to be equality displayed in order to equally motivate each learner. The

teacher should welcome learners contributions to the maintenance of classroom or laboratory

decorations in order to encourage learners to have ownership of their education.

Oliver (2007) suggested that the size of class is another important factor to consider when

creating a physical learning environment. Studies about class size have examined how class size

influences student and teacher behavior, (Fraser, 1991). In general, smaller classes are associated

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with students who are less stressed and are more frequently on-task with fewer reported behavior

problems than students in larger classes. Although teachers tend to use similar instructional

strategies whether teaching large or small classes, there is some evidence to suggest more class

time is spent on administrative tasks for larger classes, leaving less time available for instruction.

Oliver (2007) suggested that overcrowded facilities, too many students in classes, and a lack of

teacher assistants as the three major issues cited as potentially creating problems due to increased

stress levels of students and increased teacher-reported incidences of behavioral problems. These

increased stress levels and behavior problems found in larger classrooms are frequently

accompanied by lower levels of academic achievement.

The teacher needs to ensure that learners have enough space to work and move around, that

everyone in the classroom has enough space to work and move around. Therefore if the

classroom or laboratory has too many students, then the quality of the physical learning

environment deteriorates. This becomes very essential in a science laboratory where students

may need to frequently walk around searching for information and assistance.

Teacher-to-child ratios tend to have an impact on class size. Teachers with 30 or more tend to

have a larger workload as opposed to a teacher with say 20 pupils. However, there may be social

costs for students in small classes as the students may engage in asocial and exclusionary

behavior.

Conclusively, the physical learning environment is a vital aspect to be carefully considered by

teachers. Therefore proper planning and excellent administration are required by the teacher in

order to ensure that the physical learning environment is conducive for effective learning and

education.

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References

Dudek, M. (2000). Architecture of Schools: The New Learning Environments, Architectural

press, Oxford.

Marton, F. and Booth, S. (1997). Learning and Awareness, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,

Mahwah, New Jersey, pp. 13

Oliver, C. and Lippman, P.C. (2007). Examining space and place in learning environments.

University of South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Fraser, B.J. (1991). Two decades of classroom environment research. In B.J. Fraser and H.J.

Walberg. Educational environments: Evaluation, antecedents and consequences. London:

Pergamon, pg. 3-27.

Fullan (2001). The New Meaning of Educational Change, 3rd Edition. New York: Teachers

College Press.

Fraser, B.J., Giddings, G.J and McRobbie, C.J. (1996). Development and cross-national

validation of a laboratory classroom environment instrument for senior high school science.

Science Education, 77, pp. 1-24.

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