Nearly All Teachers Say School Design Significantly Impacts Happiness and Effectiveness in the Workplace

New survey data from Corgan points to the importance of well-designed learning environments for teacher effectiveness, satisfaction and retention

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Corgan

Sep 17, 2019, 08:34 ET

DALLAS, Sept. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- While schools prioritize the wellbeing and learning outcomes of students, classroom design is generally less supportive of teachers—overlooking the impact of the school environment on teacher satisfaction, efficacy, engagement and retention. Corgan, a leading global architecture and design firm, today released survey results of 1,000 K-12 teachers across the United States about their greatest needs, pain points and priorities in regard to education design. Nearly all teachers (98%) say that a well-designed classroom makes teaching more enjoyable. Additional key findings note that teachers feel limited by the physical design of their teaching environments, overwhelmingly want more flexibility in the classroom, and consider school design when weighing employment opportunities.

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To better understand the unique challenges and needs of teachers as it relates to the design of educational environments, Corgan surveyed 1,000 Kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers from across the country The responses indicate a direct correlation between the designed environment and teacher wellbeing and satisfaction.
To better understand the unique challenges and needs of teachers as it relates to the design of educational environments, Corgan surveyed 1,000 Kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers from across the country The responses indicate a direct correlation between the designed environment and teacher wellbeing and satisfaction.
A recent Corgan survey found that 97 percent of teachers say that the physical design of the learning environment is important to helping students learn. Rodriguez Middle School in Denton, TX, utilizes flexible spaces for varying needs throughout the day.
A recent Corgan survey found that 97 percent of teachers say that the physical design of the learning environment is important to helping students learn. Rodriguez Middle School in Denton, TX, utilizes flexible spaces for varying needs throughout the day.
Teacher-dedicated spaces are important for a number of reasons. A zoned approach, like this one, provides an open area for student-teacher interactions, a semi-private space for teachers to work, and more private areas including wellness rooms and restrooms toward the back of the space.
Teacher-dedicated spaces are important for a number of reasons. A zoned approach, like this one, provides an open area for student-teacher interactions, a semi-private space for teachers to work, and more private areas including wellness rooms and restrooms toward the back of the space.

These findings reveal that unmet needs and inefficient design reduce teacher efficacy in the classroom. In fact, 62% of teachers agree that poorly designed learning spaces limit their teaching abilities. To keep pace with quickly changing curriculums and a variety of learning and teaching styles, teachers require spaces that allow for flexible use of the entire learning environment to maximize effectiveness and personalization.

Poorly designed schools can lead to lower teacher satisfaction and retention rates and, ultimately, make it more difficult for schools to attract top new talent. When asked if they were to look for a job at another school, 68% of teachers said the design of the school and classrooms would factor into their decision.

"As other industries prioritize the impact of the workplace on staff wellbeing, productivity, and engagement, the education sector has an opportunity to also consider the impact of school design on teachers," said Steve Hulsey, President and Executive Managing Principal of the education sector at Corgan. "Our hope is that, through a fresh perspective we can create data-driven solutions that are welcoming and motivating while improving teacher satisfaction, and by extension, student outcomes."

Considering the unique workplace challenges in schools including workflow, budget, and schedules, Corgan adapted and contextualized design solutions for the school setting to directly address reported pain points with appropriate, seamlessly integrated amenities and in-demand resources to offer hyperflexiblity and reimagine the ways teachers relate to their workplace.

The national survey asked teachers about their satisfaction with the current school design, their specific design needs, the impact of design on effectiveness and happiness, and the implications of design into future job decisions.

Among the survey's top-line findings:

  • Nearly all teachers (97%) say that the physical design of the learning environment is important in helping students to learn
  • Nearly all teachers (98%) say having a well-designed classroom makes teaching more enjoyable
  • 4 in 5 teachers (80%) say the physical design of a teaching environment is important to their ability to be a good teacher
  • 68% of teachers say that if they were to look for a job at another school, the design of the school and classrooms would be a factor in their decision
  • 85% of teachers say they want more flexibility for their teaching environment
  • 25% of teachers say that "having classroom or learning environments that are limiting" is a main source of stress for them (which is comparable to pressure from administration (26%) and lack of support from school leadership (28%) as main sources of stress)

Expanded survey details can be found here.

About the Research
Corgan engaged KRC Research to conduct a quantitative online survey in June 2019 among 1,000 K-12 teachers across the United States.

About Corgan
Corgan is a leading global architecture and design firm with a human-centered approach, a deep technical experience and a reputation for great service to our clients, our people and our communities. Consistently ranked as one of the top five architecture firms in the world, we listen to our clients and transform their insights into structures and spaces that inspire, inform and innovate. For eight decades, Corgan has developed special expertise in aviation, commercial, critical facilities, education, healthcare and interior design projects. Our approach to all these spaces is singular: to create unique environments where our clients thrive. For more information visit https://www.corgan.com/.

About KRC Research
KRC Research is a global full-service nonpartisan opinion research and strategy firm. A unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies, KRC Research offers the quality and custom service of a small firm with the reach of a global organization. For over 30 years, KRC Research has worked on behalf of corporations, governments, not-for-profits and the communications firms that represent them. Staffed with multidisciplinary research professionals, KRC combines sophisticated research tools with real-world communications experience. For more information, visit www.krcresearch.com

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SOURCE Corgan

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https://www.corgan.com

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