Interaction and collective emotional climate in innovative learning environments in mathematics lessons: a third- and fourth-grade students’ perspective

Abstract New school buildings are increasingly designed as innovative learning environments (ILEs) to increase interactivity and learning engagement. However, little is known about the students’ experiences in these environments. This article examines how the pedagogy enabled by ILEs is linked to the mathematics lessons’ interaction and collective emotional climate. We analysed 446 drawings made by third and fourth graders from 26 classes studying mathematics in ILEs. In some of the classes, the pedagogical affordances of ILEs were used effectively, while in others the teaching was done in a traditional way. We found that ILEs affected mathematics lessons’ interaction and emotional climate through pedagogical groupings. Teacher collaboration and flexible groupings were related to more interactive student positioning and mathematical discourse, increased interaction between the students and teachers, and a more positive emotional climate than fixed groupings. Further, fixed groupings in the open environments were more likely to result in disciplinary and concentration problems. Rather than the environment itself, our results highlight the importance of the way teachers are able to exploit the affordances of the environment.