UCLA

Though the nature of educational displays are often involved in educational

philosophies, few studies explore how design functions in elementary classroom

environments. This study gathered and analyzed teachers’ perceptions of classroom displays

in elementary classrooms by interviewing 23 kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers within

Los Angeles County. By using qualitative research in the form of semi-structured interviews,

teachers expanded on the particular choices they make when designing and creating

classroom displays and the challenges they face in implementation. Through the coding and

analysis of these open-ended interviews, themes and trends revealed teachers’ perceptions of

classroom displays, the influences that shaped their understanding, and what factors

ultimately drove their praxes. Findings reveal a connection between teachers’ pedagogical

beliefs and the implementation of their designs; their responses indicate that teachers view

classroom displays as a valuable asset, but lack guidance in creating displays. This indicates

opportunity for further research and professional development in the area of the visual

classroom environment.