Environmental Psychology in the classroom

Sorry I've been behind on my posts. It's been crazy around here since I returned from Rome. My trip was incredible! I had the best time of my life-I can't wait to go back.

When I returned from Rome, I began to really think about my honors thesis (which I have spoken about in a previous post). I am going to write about environmental psychology and its effect on classroom design and cognitive growth in children. I handed in some preliminary work to Dr. Hopkins today, and I have posted it here below:

My honors thesis topic will focus on environmental psychology’s role in the classroom. To my knowledge, an educational based thesis has yet to be done for the Honors program here at the college. I have spoken to a few people who think this thesis is a joke. Their criticism only makes me want to write and research this topic even more. So far, based upon preliminary research, my thesis statement is “Certain aspects of environmental psychology are directly related to academic success and have the potential to reform the future of learning in the American elementary classroom.” I intend to answer the following questions:
1. What is environmental psychology and why is it relevant to classroom management?
2. What must be understood about the psyche of a child and cognitive development in order to apply the principles of environmental psychology to classroom learning?
3. What adaptations need to be made for special needs students integrated in the standard American classroom?
4. What aspects of the “modern” classroom are too trendy for its own good and/or unnecessary?
5. What is the appropriate balance between assets in traditional classroom settings and the classrooms of the future?
6. Should classroom design courses be implemented into college education programs?
7. Do other parts of the school (library, playground) affect the child’s development? Does effective learning and interaction in these areas relate to the learning that takes place in the classroom?


As part of my thesis, I will be doing field work in various elementary schools. I will observe all aspects of each classroom. After gathering data, I will choose three or four classrooms to rearrange according to my research. I will hope to see learning and test results increase because of this. I will be interviewing school teachers and administrators. I also plan on interviewing interior designers. I will hopefully be able to interview as least one environmental psychology expert. I have begun looking up professors at CUNY who specialize in environmental psychology. Being so close to Manhattan, I do not anticipate too much trouble finding designers and teachers who will speak to me. I may also find it necessary to interview students. I will obviously be observing their actions, but their feedback may be just as important as the people I mentioned previously.

I have chosen Dr. Jennifer Ayala as my thesis advisor. I will be meeting with her on April 17th to discuss my thesis for the first time. She said via email that she was glad I had chosen to do such a topic. I seem to have her support and this is very encouraging. Once I meet with her, I will begin developing questions for my interviews, emailing and calling professional throughout the country, and developing studies for my field work.


I have perused many articles so far, all of which are related to my topic. One article in particular, “Designing Better Schools” is from The Magazine of the American Society of Interior Designers. The article deals specifically with the physical surroundings’ effect on childhood development and learning. I will be using this article as a starting point in my research. Fortunately, I was able to find many other articles that fall right in line with my thesis topic. For now, I have been relying heavily on materials from the internet. I need the help of Dr. Ayala and others to see which books will be essential for me to read.

Each of these areas will be researched and discussed in depth:
Color
Space
Lighting
Class Size
Wall Decorations
Modifications for special needs students
Seating arrangements and furniture selection
Preventing or limiting outside noise and distractions
Aside from the paper, I wish to make a model of the “perfect classroom.” Once my research has granted me the results I hope for, I will feel confident in constructing a floor plan of the classroom I find to be most conducive to learning.

I am optimistic about my thesis topic. I feel that at this point, I am on the right track. I guess my only fear at this point is falling behind on the research. From now on, I am going to have to read at least one article a day, and really begin analyzing what I want to use in my paper. Keeping in contact with Dr. Ayala is going to be a key component to the success of this thesis.



I may focus specifically on the special needs classroom. I have not decided yet. Your feedback on this is appreciated!