• The Journal of Sustainable Design and Educational Environment Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.38-47
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• 2020

This study analyzed the perceptions of teachers to establish the direction for managing the space outside an elementary school. Satisfaction with outdoor school spaces is influenced by the satisfaction with tree and flower plantation and outdoor rest spaces. This study found that the longer the working years of a teacher, the higher their awareness of the importance and necessity of outdoor spaces in the school. Respondents emphasized the lack of manpower and budget, as well as the indifference of the administration as hindrances to the management of outdoor spaces in the school. The outdoor space in the school should include a secure play area, plant education space, class practice spaces, and a rest area. Furthermore, the space outside the elementary school should support learning, playing, and resting. To this end, facilities such as benches, pergolas, outdoor classrooms, ecological ponds, farms, and flower beds should be provided. In an outdoor space, plants featured in textbooks, seasonal plants, and those that provide shade can be planted along with labels to provide information and thereby promote learning. The teachers expected that the management of the external space will have an educational and emotional effect on students. In response to the innovation of the school spaces, it is necessary to continuously manage the external spaces to achieve educational and emotional effects by organically connecting the outdoor spaces with the indoor space. For this purpose, it is required to provide support for securing budgets and manpower, and to introduce relevant policies.