Enhancement of classroom facilities of primary schools and its impact on learning behaviors of students

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of the enhanced school facilities and the impacts of this enhancement on the learning behaviors of studentsDesign/methodology/approachA pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation questionnaire was administered in 2003‐2004 to 750 primary students who had studied in both the old schoolhouses and the new Millennium Schoolhouses.FindingsThe results revealed that all of the FM components except teaching tools were improved in the millennium schools, while most of the learning behaviour (LB) components showed no changes. However, an interesting finding was that most of the improved FM components correlated to the enhanced LB of the students in the millennium schools.Research limitations/implicationsThere was only a three to four months period between the pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation in the study. To ensure the effectiveness of upgraded FM in millennium primary schools and to understand the long‐term impacts on the learning outcomes of students, a longitudinal post‐occupancy evaluation study in these three millennium schools is recommended.Practical implicationsIt is suggested that a longitudinal POE study be conducted in these three millennium schools in order to understand the long‐term impact of facilities management in millennium primary schools, especially the impact on the academic performance of students.Originality/valueArchitects and facilities managers should further discuss with teachers about how to encourage students in classrooms to be self‐disciplined, redesign the layout, and reconsider the teaching tools that today's primary students need.