Reimagining the Future Classroom: Understanding Student Reproductions of Traditional Learning Spaces Despite Unlimited Imagination Prompts

• In Event: AER Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Rethinking the Role of Learning Spaces

Abstract

This study investigates how preservice teachers design future classroom spaces when prompted to create their “dream classroom” without constraints. Despite open-ended, resource-rich conditions, most groups reproduced traditional layouts, reflecting how deeply internalized spatial norms shape design thinking. Drawing on student artifacts, the analysis reveals a strong tendency toward teacher-centered and surface-level innovation. Findings point to the powerful role of institutional memory and highlight the importance of integrating critical spatial literacy and design-thinking practices into teacher education programs.

Authors

• Elif Ozturk, Middle East Technical University

• Nur Cakir, Middle East Technical University

• Serap Sevimli Çelik, Edith Cowan University