Open Plan Classrooms and Their Impact on Learning

Introduction

• Modern schools often feature open plan classrooms.
• Open plan: large rooms with multiple classes, few separations.
• Concerns about potential harm to student learning.

Discussion Participants

• Kat Clay (Host)
• Anika Stobart and Brigette Garvin (Grattan’s education team)

Definition: Open Plan Classrooms

• Multiple classes in one large room (e.g., Year 3 and Year 4 together).
• Lack of walls for separation; noisy environment.
• Some have group tables, beanbags, and nooks.

The Noise Issue

• Open plan rooms can be very noisy.
• Noise makes it hard for students to hear teachers.
• Different types: Fully open vs. flexible with collapsible walls.

Research Findings

• Limited evidence on impact of open plan classrooms on learning.
• 2018 systematic review of 5000 studies found mixed effects.
• Noise negatively impacts learning:
  • 2015 Australian study showed noise in open plan settings leads to misunderstanding.
  • Noise affects speed and accuracy of reading comprehension.
  • Especially problematic for students with disabilities or second language learners.

Teacher and Student Perspectives

• Teachers in large schools might support these spaces but acknowledge noise issues.
• Classrooms should support effective teaching without extra work for teachers.
• Teachers have improvised solutions to create quieter spaces.
• Explicit teaching is hard in noisy environments.

Why Are They Built?

• The design supports small group learning and collaborative teaching.
• Trend driven by architectural preferences rather than educational evidence.
• New Zealand had minimal evidence supporting open plan policies.

Government Policies

• Some governments actively support open plan classrooms.
• Examples: New South Wales and Victoria promote open plan space designs.
• Calls for audits to assess prevalence and effectiveness.

Recommendations

• Governments should halt building these classrooms without robust evidence.
• Follow evidence-based design guidelines.
• Provide funding to remediate existing noisy classrooms.
• Invest in research to understand the best classroom design for learning.

Conclusion

• Emphasizes the need for evidence-based school infrastructure investments.
• Encourages more research to discover optimal classroom designs.
• Grattan Institute promotes public engagement and further discussion.

• For further reading: Grattan's opinion piece on the Conversation and their website.
• Grattan Institute is a non-profit organization inviting support and donations.