Other Titles
Spatial Habits Advance Personal Excellence (SHAPE): A Photovoice Study Exploring STudent and Educator Perceptions of school Built Environments [Poster Title]
Abstract
Background: School buildings shape daily experiences, well-being, and professional satisfaction for those who work and learn within them. Schools are increasingly primary access points for student health services.1 Teaching in public schools ranks among the most stressful occupations, driving burnout and turnover.2 As these groups spend most days in schools, the built environment serves as a crucial social determinant of health.3 Factors like extreme temperatures, poor air quality, and noise pollution impact health outcomes4-6, creating barriers to learning.7 Limited nurse-driven research exists on how building attributes impact well-being. Spatial Habits Advance Personal Excellence examines student and educator perceptions of school environments through multi-site, interdisciplinary mixed-methods.
Methods: Comprehensive evaluation of each school’s built environment via cartography was conducted. A participatory approach examined perceptions of physical spaces via pedagogical walkthroughs with Photovoice. Principles from the international Collaborative ReDesign School Group8 and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model were utilized.9 Reflexive thematic analysis10 was used to code photos and identify themes within the WSCC.
Results: A synergistic relationship exists between school environments and student and educator perceptions. Key areas like entrances and collaborative spaces influence experiences throughout the school day. Five interrelated themes were identified: (1) Structure versus flexibility: The role of clutter and clarity, (2) Unfinished spaces and emotional perceptions, (3) Natural light as a multidimensional cue, (4) Emotional climate and safety in entryway design, and (5) Ownership and personalization of space. Themes aligned with employee wellness, physical environment, and social and emotional climate domains in the WSCC.
Conclusions and Implications: Photovoice as a participatory visual method emphasizes student and educator lived experiences of school design and emotional health. Further research is necessary to examine specific impacts of school environments on well-being and physiological indicators. Nurses are critical to interdisciplinary approaches examining the intersection of the built environment, education, and health. Nursing can expand its role in environmental health promotion and school-based research, creating sustainable changes benefiting school communities.
Notes
References:
1. Kaskoun J, McCabe E. Perceptions of school nurses in addressing student mental health concerns: An integrative review. J Sch Nurs. 2021;38(1):105984052110462. https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405211046223
2. Steiner ED & Woo A. Job-related stress threatens the teacher supply: Key findings from the 2021 state of the U.S. teacher survey. RAND Corporation. 2021. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA1100/RRA11081/RAND_RRA1108-1.pdf
3. Social Determinants of Health. World Health Organization. Updated May 6, 2025. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/social-determinants-of-health
4. Ikegbusi NG, Manafa FU, Iheanacho RC. Influence of school facilities on academic achievement of public secondary school students in Lagos state. J Educ Res & Dev. 2022;5(2). https://www.educationalresearchdevelopmentjournal.com/index.php/JERD/article/view/97
5. Bole A, Bernstein A, White MJ, et al. The built environment and pediatric health. PEDIATRICS. 2023;153(1). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-064772
6. Huang KY, Cheng S, Theise R. School contexts as social determinants of child health: current practices and implications for future public health practice. Public Health Reports. 2013;128(6_suppl3):21-28. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549131286s304
7. Colvin D. Ready to learn: A concept analysis for the intersection of health and education. J Sch Nurs. 2024;41(1):172-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/10598405241276429
8. Tools. Collaborative ReDesign with Schools. n.d. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/cored/tools/?_gl=1*iolfyr*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTY5MDUwNTI5My4xNzUxNTU2NTQ5*_ga_VH2F6S16XP*czE3NTE1NTY1NDgkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTE1NTY1NDgkajYwJGwwJGg4NzQwOTgyMjA.
9. Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 26, 2024. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/whole-school-community-child/about/index.html
10. Braun V & Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006;3(2):77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Sigma Membership
Beta Delta at-Large
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Feasibility
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Public and Community Health, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Interprofessional, Interdisciplinary, Photovoice (Social Action Programs), Educators' Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Psychology of Students, School Environment, Built Environment
Recommended Citation
Jester, Megan L.; Loraas, Dawn; Brown, Cian L.; and Henderson, Madelynn, "SHAPE: A Photovoice Study Exploring Student and Educator Perceptions of School Built Environments" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 73.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/73
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-12
SHAPE: A Photovoice Study Exploring Student and Educator Perceptions of School Built Environments
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: School buildings shape daily experiences, well-being, and professional satisfaction for those who work and learn within them. Schools are increasingly primary access points for student health services.1 Teaching in public schools ranks among the most stressful occupations, driving burnout and turnover.2 As these groups spend most days in schools, the built environment serves as a crucial social determinant of health.3 Factors like extreme temperatures, poor air quality, and noise pollution impact health outcomes4-6, creating barriers to learning.7 Limited nurse-driven research exists on how building attributes impact well-being. Spatial Habits Advance Personal Excellence examines student and educator perceptions of school environments through multi-site, interdisciplinary mixed-methods.
Methods: Comprehensive evaluation of each school’s built environment via cartography was conducted. A participatory approach examined perceptions of physical spaces via pedagogical walkthroughs with Photovoice. Principles from the international Collaborative ReDesign School Group8 and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model were utilized.9 Reflexive thematic analysis10 was used to code photos and identify themes within the WSCC.
Results: A synergistic relationship exists between school environments and student and educator perceptions. Key areas like entrances and collaborative spaces influence experiences throughout the school day. Five interrelated themes were identified: (1) Structure versus flexibility: The role of clutter and clarity, (2) Unfinished spaces and emotional perceptions, (3) Natural light as a multidimensional cue, (4) Emotional climate and safety in entryway design, and (5) Ownership and personalization of space. Themes aligned with employee wellness, physical environment, and social and emotional climate domains in the WSCC.
Conclusions and Implications: Photovoice as a participatory visual method emphasizes student and educator lived experiences of school design and emotional health. Further research is necessary to examine specific impacts of school environments on well-being and physiological indicators. Nurses are critical to interdisciplinary approaches examining the intersection of the built environment, education, and health. Nursing can expand its role in environmental health promotion and school-based research, creating sustainable changes benefiting school communities.
Description
School buildings affect health and well-being of students and educators. This study used Photovoice to examine perceptions of school environments. Five themes emerged: structure vs. flexibility, unfinished spaces' emotional impact, natural light importance, entryway safety, and space personalization. Results show school design influences emotional health and daily experiences. Nurses play vital roles in interdisciplinary research linking built environments to health outcomes in schools.
The authors thank the participating schools, students, and educators. Funding support from the Institute for Community and Society Transformation at the University of Oklahoma (IRB 16914).