Who controls the learning environments? A critical inquiry of national policy of school architecture in Sweden

Abstract

In Europe and other parts of the world, many new schools are to be built. In Sweden, for instance, some 1000 new schools are to be built between year 2020–2025. As a response to this need of new school buildings, there are policies emerging. One example is the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (SNBHP), who published policy by presenting a digital collection good examples. In this paper we are zooming in on the learning environments in the policy and examining the meaning that is made of the learning environments. With the aid of the practical epistemological analysis (PEA), four the learning environments are identified: 1) general and flexible learning environment; 2) stimulating learning environment with spatial diversity; 3) an exciting learning environment that encourages creativity; and 4) an open learning environment. How these learning environments come about is further analysed with the concept of material classification, which helps identify some of the implications on teaching and learning and how the pedagogical vocabulary and material classification condition behaviours. This is further discussed in terms of what happens when”good learning environments” are made into policy.