Changing Behaviour
In 2009 Engaging Places commissioned a survey of almost 2,000 11-14 year olds throughout England. We wanted to see whether young people thought that learning about the buildings and places around them had an impact on how they and their peers behaved. We also wanted to see if young people thought that the location they were in when they learned something had an impact on how much they remembered.
Four out of five young people told us that they think knowing more about the buildings and places around them makes them and their peers behave better.
Nine out of ten young people, an even higher proportion, said that they think they remember more about what they learn if they are outside the classroom than if they are inside.
The survey was conducted for Engaging Places by Opinion Matters – an independent market research company whose clients include Marks and Spencer, Vodaphone and Kellogg’s.
Creating Engaging Places
The setting up of Engaging Places involved a major research project in 2007 from the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) which looked at the supply and demand of built environment education in Schools.
Students exploring their surroundings © CABE/Tom Wipperman
This research was developed by DCMS and DCSF in association with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and English Heritage, together with a wide range of learning providers and schools. The research helped the Engaging Places project to identify practical approaches to make schools more aware of what can be achieved by engaging with buildings and places.
This research is available in the following reports produced by NFER:
- NFER Engaging Places research summary PDF (51kb): Research into the supply and demand of built environment education in schools in England
- Research synthesis PDF (92kb): Engaging Places research summary. Bridging the Gap: A synthesis of research into the supply and the demand of built environment education in schools
- Research with teachers, head teachers and school governors PDF (293kb): Teachers research report
- Research with heritage and built environment learning providers PDF (706kb): Final report - An investigation into the provision of built environment education to schools in London, the South East and Yorkshire and the Humber.
