Teaching Spaces: The Fourth Corner of University Learning

Abstract

Teachers hold valuable knowledge and intimate understanding of the spaces where students learn. It is important to leverage their knowledge and allow their voices to be heard in planning new spaces. This article reports on mixed methods research undertaken at the School of Law, University X to assess teachers’ views on spaces, with particular focus on two rooms – a traditional lecture room and a discipline specific Moot Court room. In this paper we present an inquiry-focussed conceptual framework; the application of which has helped us investigate and make public the perspectives of teachers regarding engagement in spaces on campus. As this paper demonstrates, it is vital that the staff voice is captured in order to inform best practice and in the planning and usage of spaces. This may be obvious but we argue is often overlooked and not leveraged to its full potential. There is also transformative potential for staff as both researchers and research participants in investigating their teaching and the impact of space on practice.