The Schoolroom: A Social History of Teaching and Learning

This book examines schoolrooms and their material contents to reveal insights into the evolution of education and the translation of educational theories and cultural ideals into practice.

School attendance is nearly universal in our society, yet very little is known about the history of the classrooms we occupy and the objects we encounter and use in our educational lives. Why are our school classrooms designed as they are? When was the blackboard invented? When did computers start appearing in schools?

Through analysis of classrooms and objects within them, The Schoolroom: A Social History of Teaching and Learning details the history of American education, describing how architects, in collaboration with educators, have shaped learning spaces in response to curricular and pedagogical changes, population shifts, cultural expectations, and concern for children’s health and well-being. It illustrates connections between form and function, showing how a well-designed school building can encourage learning, and reveals little-known histories of ubiquitous educational objects such as blackboards, desks, and computers.

Provides an unprecedented history of the classrooms that so many of us occupy during our most formative years

Brings readers closer to the design of school buildings

Explains how spaces and objects influence teaching and learning and reflect educational ideologies

Details how school buildings have evolved over the years