Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Another round of data was collected and analyzed. A presentation at the annual conference of the Environmental Design Research Association was made in June 2009 on preliminary findings from the new round of data. Small data samples have been collected so it is important to gather additional data to increase the validity of the findings. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
As stated in previous reports it is difficult to assess impacts given that the research is not primarily applied.To date outcomes are shared at professional conferences. Hopefully, at the conclusion of the project there will be more definitive outcomes to report.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
Data continued to be analyzed during this reporting period. Much of the data was in qualitiative format and the PI learned new software to analyze this data. The PI participated in a conference of the American Educational Research Association to disseminate some of what has been learned to date.
Impacts
It is difficult to assess the impact of this work because it is not project specific. It is aimed at addressing how school environments contribute to children's cognitive development. By participating in conferences such as the American Educational Research Association it is expected that this project will influence school administrators and other educators.
Publications
- Maxwell, L.E. 2007. Competency in child care settings: The role of the physical environment. Environment and Behavior, 39(2), 229-245.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Two manuscripts for publication in peer-review journals are either in review or in press. These manuscripts are based on data collected to date. The self-perception data mentioned in the previous report has not been collected. Grant writing will continue to gain funding for this phase of the work. Data analysis continues on qualitative data.
Impacts
It is anticipated that this research will be useful to architects/designers, educators, urban planners, policy makers, psychologists, and all those interested in improving the quality of environments for children and youth. It is important to understand young peoples perceptions of their environments and how the environments, their perceptions of the environments, affections self-perceptions.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Additional data collection was collected during this period. Most of the data is qualitative (focus groups and interviews). After initial review of the data, software was purchased for analysis of qualitative data. After becoming familiar with the software program analysis work began. Analysis is continuing on this first round of data. The project includes a series of focus groups with teens and how they view public spaces and their relationship to these spaces and individual interviews with children 8-13. The interviews concern childrens perceptions of the home, school, and neighborhood environments. It is anticipated that childrens views of these spaces will be related to their own self-perceptions. The next round of data collection will explore this relationship.
Impacts
It is anticipated that this research will be useful to architects/designers, educators, urban planners, policy makers, psychologists, and all those interested in improving the quality of environments for children and youth. It is important to understand young peoples perceptions of their environments and how the environments, their perceptions of the environments, affections self-perceptions.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
This research is concerned with crowding as a source of environmental stress for children. Data was collected on second and fourth grade children. Density information about the school and the home was collected and children were given a reading test and a questionnaire concerning their feelings about themselves and their environment. Findings indicate that square footage per child as a measure of school crowding has significant effects on negative behavior (especially for boys) and reading scores (for girls). Data on the children's home environment has been analyzed since the last report. Home findings indicate that children in crowded homes spend less time doing things with the adults in their household than children from less crowded homes. Children from crowded homes also find it more difficult than their less crowded peers to be alone when they need to be private.
Impacts
School crowding has typically been measured by school size or class size. This study suggests that the amount of space per child may also be an important consideration for affecting academic performance and behavior. Although additional research should be done with a larger sample size. This information is potentially important for school designers and administrators.
Publications
- Maxwell, L.E. 2003. Home and school density effects on elementary school children: The role of spatial density. Environment and Behavior, 35(4), 566-578.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
This research is concerned with crowding as a source of environmental stress for children. Data was collected on second and fourth grade children. Density information about the school and the home was collected and children were given a reading test and a questionnaire concerning their feelings about themselves and their environment. Findings indicate that square footage per child as a measure of school crowding has significant effects on negative behavior (especially for boys) and reading scores (for girls). Data on the children's home environment has been analyzed since the last report. Home findings indicate that children in crowded homes spend less time doing things with the adults in their household than children from less crowded homes. Children from crowded homes also find it more difficult than their less crowded peers to be alone when they need to be private.
Impacts
School crowding has typically been measured by school size or class size. This study suggests that the amount of space per child may also be an important consideration for affecting academic performance and behavior. Although additional research should be done with a larger sample size. This information is potentially important for school designers and administrators.
Publications
- Maxwell, L.E. 2003. Home and school density effects on elementary school children: The role of spatial density. Environment and Behavior. (in press).
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
This research is concerned with crowding as a source of environmental stress for children. Data was collected on second and fourth grade children. Density information about the school and the home was collected and children were given a reading test and a questionnaire concerning their feelings about themselves and their environment. Findings indicate that square footage per child as a measure of school crowding has significant effects on negative behavior (especially for boys) and reading scores (for girls). Data on the children's home environment has been analyzed since the last report. Home findings indicate that children in crowded homes spend less time doing things with the adults in their household than children from less crowded homes. Children from crowded homes also find it more difficult than their less crowded peers to be alone when they need to be private. A journal article has been submitted for review.
Impacts
School crowding has typically been measured by school size or class size. This study suggests that the amount of space per child may also be an important consideration for affecting academic performance and behavior. Although additional research should be done with a larger sample size, this information will be potentially important for school designers and administrators.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
The effects of home and school density on elementary school children's academic achievement was investigated. Fifty-eight second and fourth grade children participated in the study from two schools. The schools differed on class size, total size of the student population and square feet per child in the classroom. Children were tested on two reading measures. Individual children were interviewed using the Lewis Scale to assess children's anxiety and the classroom teachers completed the Behar-Stringfield assessment of behaviorial disturbance for each children. A telephone interview with the parents provided information on SES measures, family interaction patterns, and household crowding. A significant interaction of gender and school crowding was found for scores on one of the reading measures. Girls' scores decreased in classrooms with less square feet per child. Boys' scores, which were also significantly higher than girls as a main effect, were not affected by
classroom square footage. Additional data analysis is being done on the home environment although preliminary analysis does not reveal any significant findings. Five focus groups were held with parents in different parts of New York State to talk about how well their home environments (physical environment) works for them and their children.
Impacts
As a result of the focus group work, parent education material was prepared to help parents organize their home environment for children's play and activities. Several workshops have also been done (i.e., Head Start, Even Start) on this topic also. Material was published by Cornell Cooperative Extension. A manuscript for a peer-reviewed publication is in preparation.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/99 to 12/31/99
Outputs
Pilot data has been collected and is being analyzed. The plan is to use this data to assist in writing a grant proposal for the larger study.
Impacts
Pilot study helped to generate material to be used in parent education relating to the organization of the home for children's activities. Material is being used in parent workshops for Head Start, Cooperative Extenison, and Even Start. Additional research will assist in developing other material.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 06/01/94 to 09/30/98
Outputs
Data collection has been completed on this project. A large amount of data was collected on video tape. A data analysis strategy was developed and anaylsis is almost complete. A manuscript to be submitted for publication in a referred journal is in preparation.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/97 to 12/31/97
Outputs
Four preschool programs were recruited to participate in this research project. Two of the programs are primarily for children with disabilities although some typically developing children also attend the programs. One program has both children with disabilities and those without disabilities. The remaining program enrolled only typically developing children. Data collection was completed during the Fall, 1995 semester. Data analysis has been completed. Preliminary results of the study were presented at EDRA, 1997. A manuscript is under preparation for submission to a referred journal.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/95 to 12/30/95
Outputs
Four preschool programs were recruited to participate in this research project. Two of the programs are primarily for children with disabilities although some typically developing children also attend the programs. One program has both children with disabilities and those without disabilities. The remaining program enrolled only typically developing children. Data collection was completed during the Fall, 1995 semester. The data will be analyzed during the Spring, 1996 semester. The results of the study will be presented at the Spring conference of the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children. Articles will be submitted to appropriate refereed academic journals.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- NO PUBLICATIONS REPORTED THIS PERIOD.
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Progress 01/01/94 to 12/30/94
Outputs
Period Covered: 8/94 - 12/94 This project is in its early stages. A literature search is nearly completed. An observational instrument for use in the classroom was developed this semester and will be tested next semester. Minor adjustments are anticipated. A classroom rating instrument developed by another researcher was tested this semester to see if it will be suitable for the purposes of this study. A number of schools and classroom teachers were contacted in order to develop a list of potential sites for participation in the study. Some of the sites were visited. The classroom rating instrument was applied to these classrooms. It is important to the study that classrooms rated both high and low on this scale be included; therefore, all potential sites must be rated to see whether or not the classroom is eligible for use in the study. The feasibility of video taping for conducting the observational portion of the study was also investigated during this semester. No
decision has been made yet. Next semester, the observational instrument will be finalized, observers trained, and preliminary data collection started.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- NO PUBLICATIONS REPORTED THIS PERIOD.
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