Children, Youth and Environment – Call for Abstracts for Special Issue; ‘Reconceptualising School Design: Children and Youth Environments for Learning’

Posted: 22 July 2010

Nations around the world are re-examining the idea of school as both a physical place and as a set of practices related to learning and development. As 'school' broadens its scope in response to pedagogical developments and is reconstructed in the face of climate change, conflicts and disasters, the field of school design is challenged to respond with appropriate processes, spaces and places.

This special issue of 'Children, Youth and Environments' will explore multi-disciplinary perspectives on school design. At the centre will be the aim to develop understanding of the relationship between a school's physical environment, the processes undertaken to create that environment, and a student's learning and self-development. Papers will be based on real-world research in school or school design settings, with a focus on participant experience and voice. The issue will reflect an international perspective and will draw on ideas from theory, research, policy and practice.

Papers will be particularly welcome that focus on: (1) the design, planning and development of schools in the developing world context; (2) environments of disadvantage and areas of reconstruction after conflict or disasters; and (3) schools for children and young people with special needs and/or from marginal communities.

One-page abstracts of paper ideas should be sent by 30th March 2011 to Rosie Parnell (r.parnell@sheffield.ac.uk) and Laura Malinin (malinin@colorado.edu).

Abstracts will be accepted any time prior to this deadline. More details are available on the website: colorado.edu/journals/cye.