School as Space: Spatial Alterations, Teaching, Social Motives, and Practices

Abstract

Space is only gradually emerging as a topic in educational research in general and in research on schools in particular. In this paper, we approach an empirical examination of social processes in schools within the framework of two prominent theoretical approaches to the topic of space: the absolute and the relational. By empirically examining how classroom arrangements are influenced by material space and in themselves constitute space, we hope to arrive at a better understanding of how space, teaching, and social relationship structures are intertwined in schools. Furthermore, we present the argument that a combination of the two spatial concepts is promising when empirically examining social processes within a spatial reference frame.