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ERIC Number: ED153909
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1978
Pages: 48
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Places and Spaces: Environmental Psychology in Education. Fastback 112.
Heyman, Mark
The booklet discusses the concept of environmental psychology and suggests ways of applying environmental psychology principles to education. A new field of study, environmental psychology deals with influences of the physical environment on human attitudes and behavior. Of potential use to educators on all levels as they seek to use the physical environment to enhance educational programs, environmental psychology comprises these key concepts: 1) symbolism, referring to social meaning of objects and their arrangement; 2) territoriality, achieving and exerting control over a particular segment of space; 3) privacy, comprising visual and acoustical separation; 4) nonverbal communication, imparting meaning through facial expressions, gestures, and other body movement; 5) individual differences regarding high, average, or low sensitivity to the environment; and 6) cultural differences concerning ways in which various nationalities react to the environment. Teachers can introduce environmental psychology into the classroom by asking students to respond to questions concerning seating arrangements, room temperature, and furniture, and by directing students to analyze photographs of classroom and recreational environments. Ways in which teachers can apply principles of environmental psychology in a school setting include changing seating arrangements to suit class activities, providing unobstructed views of the center of activity for all students, using an open education environment to provide a variety of small private spaces, and using the school's heating plant, water supply system, and cafeteria to study technological and ecological topics. An annotated bibliography concludes the document. (Author/DB)
Phi Delta Kappa, Eighth and Union, Box 789, Bloomington, Indiana 47401 ($0.75 paperbound, quantity discounts available)
Publication Type: Books
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, Bloomington, IN.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A