Environments that Educate: The Teacher's Perspective and use of Classrooms Decoration in a Chinese Kindergarten

Environments that Educate: The Teacher's Perspective and use of Classrooms Decoration in a Chinese Kindergarten | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Environments that Educate: The Teacher's Perspective and use of Classrooms Decoration in a Chinese Kindergarten Hana Kikuti Reina, Ana Carla Vieira Pio, Xiaoqian Huang, Maria Virgínia Machado Dazzani, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6590576/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract There is a connection between the physical environment of the school and the development and learning of children in early childhood education. Institutional aspects and pedagogical proposals are reflected in teachers' actions regarding the classroom space. The aim of this study was to analyze how kindergarten teachers in Shanghai, China, use and recreate the classroom space according to the school 's pedagogical objectives, trying to answer the question “how do the teachers decorate the space according to the pedagogical proposal of the school?”. Trata-se de um estudo de caso relacionado ao ambiente físico de um kindergarten. The present article sought to explore how decorative elements were arranged in the classroom and hallways of the school from the teachers' perspective and to analyze the motivations related to these dynamics. Observations were conducted in a class of 5 and 6 year old children over a three-month period, and two teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. The data collected was analyzed using the concept of affectivation and the notion of physical school space usage proposed by Périard and Liu (2020). The findings suggest that classroom decoration was employed in that school as a significant pedagogical strategy to support children's development and learning. Decoration Affectivation Teacher Kindergarten Education Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Introduction Reflections on the relationship between physical space and subjective and social experiences have been the subject of multidisciplinary interest, particularly in fields such as architecture (Sager, 2002 ), sociology (Lefebvre, 1991 ), psychology (Moser, 2018 ), and education (Moreira, 2011 ). Physical space is an element capable of providing important information for understanding the educational project that is being developed. Similarly, it allows us to formulate hypotheses about the underlying conceptions of children and childhood that inform educational practices in daycare centers and early childhood education schools, as well as the conceptions of learning and development that guide and organize pedagogical relationships. Furthermore, physical space enables us to draw inferences about the relationships established among children and between children and teachers and other school staff. This is due to the fact that physical space is not merely a background or setting for pedagogical activities; on the contrary, it is a constitutive element of pedagogical work (Moreira, 2011 ). Therefore, physical space is not merely a receptacle in which pedagogical practices take place. It has the potential, above all, to promote or inhibit development by providing the conditions for practices of interaction, negotiation, and co-construction of knowledge. According to Périard and Liu (2020, p. 35), “moral education is highly influenced by cultural background and environment.” In other words, physical space should not be perceived as a neutral and independent component but rather as an element that is inevitably linked to and committed to a particular way of conceiving the world. Thus, the educational environment, which includes the organization and decoration of school and classroom spaces, can serve as an important tool for transmitting cultural values (Périard and Liu, 2020). In the Chinese context, studies such as those by Li and Xu ( 2018 ) show that early childhood education teachers use and reorganize classroom space to align with the school's pedagogical and cultural purposes, promoting activities that value both collectivity and individual development. The physical environment is thus continually reinterpreted by school actors, becoming a mediator of developmental processes. Terrón-Pérez et al. ( 2021 ) highlight that school environments with a greater variety of equipment and open spaces promote higher levels of physical activity among children, while restricted or unstimulating environments tend to limit these opportunities. Thus, the connection between physical space, decoration, and development in early childhood schools shows that the school environment is a fundamental dimension for promoting meaningful experiences, learning, and enhancing child development. The organization and design of educational environments — including spatial layouts, decorative choices, and materials — mediate the construction of meanings in different fields of experience of the communities that create them. More than a simple setting, the school environment invites the collective construction of meanings, functioning as a catalyst for child development, continually reinterpreted by pedagogical practices and the cultural values ​​of the school community. In this context, it is essential to consider the historical, cultural, and pedagogical specificities of the Chinese educational system. Early childhood education in China has undergone profound transformations in recent decades, driven by both public policies and international influences, resulting in pedagogical practices that seek to balance traditional Chinese values ​​and new approaches (Qi and Melhuish, 2016 ). Therefore, investigating how decorative elements are arranged in classrooms and in a public kindergarten in Shanghai allows us to analyze how teachers interpret and implement pedagogical guidelines, as well as their motivations and strategies in the face of institutional and cultural demands. Regarding classroom decoration more specifically, few studies have addressed this topic, with existing works limited to analyses of wall usage and classroom floor plans (Lingyun Xu, 2024 ). Lingyun Xu ( 2024 ) points out that while many studies explored the relationship between students and the classroom environment, only a few studied how teachers relate to this space, and Manassakis ( 2020 ) adds to it by suggesting further research is needed to explore the interactions among children, teachers, and classroom materials in order to fully understand how these dynamics shape early childhood education. In this sense, the present article aims to explore how decorative elements were arranged in the classroom and hallways of the school from the teachers' perspective and to analyze the motivations related to these dynamics. To this end, the research was conducted in a public kindergarten in the city of Shanghai, China. The affective organization of educational spaces The classroom is not just an instrumental space, but also a symbolic one. It’s where the teacher and students spend daily hours together for at least one academic year. It is ought to imagine that it will also hold a relevant affective dimension. The theory of "affectivating" - developed by Valsiner ( 1999 ) as a neologism that combines the words affect and action - can help to make such a dimension visible (Cornejo, Marsico and Valsiner, 2018 ). Understanding the phenomenon of affect requires a grasp on the actions that the individual established into the environment (physical, symbolic, cultural, social, etc.) in which they interact. Therefore, affect is not a passive process of environment > person influence but an interactional process: person > environment > person. The potential for an environment to affect an individual relates to how meaningful its elements are to that person. Unlike classical psychological theories, which might perceive the environment as monolithic and equally influential to all individuals within it, this perspective understands environmental influence as semiotically mediated and based on the relationship projected by the individual into the environment. Figure 1 illustrates this process. There is no inherently hierarchical relationship between the environment and the individual, as the interaction process is mutual (Fig. 1 ). The outcome of the interaction (R1; R2) varies as individuals actively create meaning from their surroundings, selectively engaging with elements that will impact them. Cornejo, Marsico, and Valsiner ( 2018 , p. 2) summarize this concept by defining affectivation as "the process by which people act upon the environment, turning it into their own environment, and therefore, becoming themselves sensitive — affectively tuned — to it." Thus, the environment is not just something the person happens to be in , but it is an active interlocutor of the person’s semiotic activity. The human environment is filled with signs that partially pre-exist the person and partially are constantly produced and reproduced by the person (Tateo and Marsico, 2022 ). By filling the space with peripheral signs the person “affectivates” the environment by a repertoire of meanings that are potentially available in case of need. The process of affectivating has a practical effect. According to Abbey and Valsiner (2005), as a person constructs meanings in relation to the environment, the uncertainties and ambiguities of the experience lived in that context are reduced. Thus, on one hand, meanings about the present experience are structured, while on the other hand, the possibility of facing future uncertainties is constructed (Fossa, 2008). We further add that as a person constructs meanings and makes the environment in which they interact familiar, the possibilities for concrete modification of this environment are expanded. The cultural organization in pedagogical spaces in China In a research conducted at the chinese kindergarten of East China Normal University (ECNU), Tabea Eimer ( 2020 ) analyzes the cultural objects placed in the hallways of the school, and points out their pedagogical purpose for the education of the children. According to her, the decoration on the hallways can also serve an educational purpose, once children tend to explore all the spaces of the schools, not only the classrooms where the primary educational work is done (Tabea Eimer, 2020 ). However, the author also point out that although the decorative objects have a pedagogical purpose directly related to the children, these objects are also placed out of their reach, on adult’s eye level which led to the understanding that despite this pedagogical purpose aimed at children, the school's decoration, in practice, is related to the school's concern with meeting the expectations of the children's parents (Tabea Eimer, 2020 ). According to He Min and Yunfei Ji (2020), many early childhood education professionals strive to develop integrative learning rather than teaching divided into separate areas of knowledge. In this sense, the goal is to discuss everyday topics, such as the season of the year, with the purpose of engaging the child in the activity more spontaneously. Additionally, decorating the classroom is part of one of these playful activities. The authors also mention that activities like this help children develop "experiences, knowledge, and skills in different learning fields" (Min and Ji, 2020 , p.18). Finally, the authors argue that this teaching approach aims to contribute to a balance between the nature of children and the demands of society (Min and Ji, 2020 ). In China, the teachers are the ones that are usually responsible for the task of decorating the classroom (Min and Ji, 2020 ). However, even though this role is the teacher 's responsibility, they still have to follow rules and manuals. In this sense, the authors add that “it’s difficulty for teachers to arrange the free play due to the local government control specific things like the environment decoration [...]” (Min and Ji, 2020 , p.19). Because of this control over how the room should be organized, teachers are not completely free to decide which objects should decorate the room or even how they should be arranged. As a result, due to this lack of autonomy, Chinese teachers can face some difficulties due to the different expectations over their work, and an overload of tasks that they perceive as irrelevant from a pedagogical perspective. As a possible solution to this impasse, the authors suggest that “From an ecological point of view, there needs to be more support to kindergarten teachers like space, less classroom scale, less un-educational tasks but autonomy and psychological knowledge to understand young children” (Min and Ji, 2020 , p.19). Then, the decorations and visuals of the kindergarten aren't thought only for children's pedagogical development, but also, it should match the parent's expectations. This leads to the question: the parents' expectations on the visuals of the space of the kindergarten always match what the children actually need from a pedagogical perspective? By what was described by Tabea Eimer research, it is possible to presume that not, once even the placement of the decorations meant to attract adults are not accessible for children. Then, two new questions can be asked: Who decides what's pedagogically relevant for the children's educational development? And who's responsible for actually organizing and decorating the space of the kindergarten? Method Research question and objectives After some visits to the kindergarten observing the teachers' activities and the way they were constantly changing the elements of the classroom space while managing many other activities with the children, one question needed to be answered: how do the teachers decorate the space according to the pedagogical proposal of the school? This research aims to approach an answer and, hopefully, deeply understand how this process works. To achieve this purpose, it was established as the main objective of this research: To analyze how the teachers of a kindergarten in Shanghai, China, decorate the space of the classroom according to the pedagogical purpose of the school. The main objective was fractionated in 3 steps, which are: a. Analyze how the classroom decoration is portrayed in the official guidelines that regulate kindergartens and in the way teachers were instructed to perform this task during graduation; b. Analyze the process of choosing the materials and the arrangement (positioning) of the elements used for the classroom decoration by the teacher. c. Analyze how affectivation is present in this process and contributes to achievement of the desired pedagogical purposes; Research context The research was realized in a public kindergarten in Shanghai, China. This kindergarten has a special approach on their education purpose that differs from most kindergartens in the country, since they work with “Anji Play”. Anji Play is an educational method developed by Ms. Cheng Xueqin in Zhejiang Province, China, which has become one of the main focuses of the Ministry of Education for universal access to public early childhood education in China (AnjiPlay, 2024, as cited in Pio, 2025). This method, created for preschool education, is based on structured activities such as games, promoting playful activities that position the child as the protagonist in generating ideas, guiding play, and reflecting on that play (Cheng, 2022, as cited in Pio, 2025). In this sense, Anji Play also advocates for the use of playgrounds and natural materials to carry out these activities, as “low-structured play materials are more likely to stimulate children’s creativity and imagination” (Cheng, p. 556, 2022). Anji Play also promotes activities such as risky play. Activities like climbing, playing in sandboxes, and riding bicycles are developed and practiced with the aim of encouraging children to challenge themselves and build self-confidence (Cheng, 2022). Another interesting aspect concerns the naming of this play. Called “real play,” this method advocates for these activities as a new form of educational activity, stating that “Anji Play transforms traditional play into an outdoor autonomous play education activity that is child-oriented and stimulates their internal motivation to learn” (Cheng, p. 557, 2022). Participants The participants in the study were two female teachers, each responsible for different classes within the kindergarten, selected based on their availability and willingness to participate. Classroom observations were also made in groups of 5–6 year old children, chosen from two groups suggested by the school principal, given the openness of the children, and by the teachers, regarding the integration of the researcher into their daily routines. Individual interviews were also carried out with the two selected teachers, based on their availability, each with a different background in their professional experience inside that kindergarten, to explore in greater depth their personal experiences and reflections regarding the arrangement of decorative elements in their respective classrooms. Data production By observing and analyzing a classroom space in a public kindergarten in Shanghai, China, through 12 days, 3 days a week during the morning period, each one lasting around 2h30, it was possible to approach how teachers' use and recreate the classroom space according to the school's pedagogical objectives, and observe the dynamics of their daily routine. The teacher's guidelines were analyzed, and their interactions with the principal and vice principal were observed. Moreover, to approach the teachers’ perspective about their use of the classroom setting and how those elements influenced their choices during this process, two of them were interviewed. The purpose of those visits was to observe the routine of the teachers and kids, and their use of the space of the school, and also approach the foreigner researcher to the possible participants. The observation visits were not only important for data collection, but also for the adaptation of the researcher in the field, by being in a really different environment, the foreigner researcher may notice as extraordinary, things that seem ordinary for most of the natives of the country they are. But also, the opposite could happen - by not being familiar with the routines, social rules, laws, and common knowledge that the people that live in that country will in the daily life, the foreigner could also ignore or be unaware of the things that are clear or extraordinary for the ones that are inserted in that culture. That's why, even before the foreign researchers defined the research topic, the visits had already started. During these observations, it was possible to take notes on the interactions between the kids, teacher, principals, and other staff within each other and the physical space of the kindergarten, and also photograph the structure of the school and the elements displaced in it for later analysis. Instruments For the data collection, 2 individual semi-structured interviews were planned, of which 1 could only be made digitally due to the teacher disponibility, where participant received a link for an online shared document that contained the questions in English and Chinese, and was asked to answer them in their language of preference, therefore, being adapted to an structured interview. The other one was possible to be done in person with minor need of translation, once the teacher interviewed could understand and speak in English. The questions and their translation for both languages can be checked in the Appendix A. The agreement term signed by the participants also contained orientation on their rights such as having their identity and other personal information preserved, as not be part of the research if they decide to. In the documentation, it was also provided information for contacting the researcher and the supervisors of the project if they need. The documents were presented both in English and Chinese for easy clarification. The translations of documents and guidelines were assisted by the use of AI-assisted tools (DeepL, 2024 ; Google, n.d.; OpenAI, 2023 ) and later verified by the author. These tools were also used to correct English mistakes during the writing of this article. All the analysis in this article was made solely by human authors, while the AI tools listed above were used exclusively to improve phrasing and translation. Data analysis The data collected through the observations, readings of official documents that regulate chinese kindergarten education, and interviews were divided into two topics of interest entitled “What’s expected from the teachers work” and “Affectivation and decoration of the classroom space”. Those topics focus the analyses on different aspects that are relevant for the understanding of the context, conflicts and choices made by the teachers during their use of the space of the classroom. The qualitative analysis approach was well-suited and aligned with the research objectives for data examination. Field observations and notes served as a guiding framework to identify and distinguish relevant events for analysis, which were later used to structure this article. The data collected through field observations and interviews was systematically organized and categorized based on recurring themes, following a thematic analysis methodology. The interviews were analyzed in accordance with the two predefined topics outlined earlier. Results The data collected through observations, interactions during visits to the kindergarten, review of Chinese educational regulatory documents, and interviews revealed that teachers perform various roles, each with multifaceted considerations. The organization of the classroom is just one of them, but it still exemplifies how thoughtful the teachers have to be in their choices, and the diverse demands they have to balance. Having this in mind, the first thing to be explored regarding the way teachers manage the classroom arrangement, is the way it is advised by the official guidelines that regulate the Chinese educational system. 1. What’s expected from the teachers work One of the documents shared by the teachers during the interview is the Updated Kindergarten Regulations, 2016 . At the the Chapter VII. Kindergarten staff on the Article 41 its established that: [...] Kindergarten teachers are fully responsible for the work of their classes, and their main duties are as follows: [...] (2) creating a good educational environment, reasonably organizing the contents of the education, providing a wealth of toys and play materials, and carrying out appropriate educational activities; [...] Besides providing a list of resources suggested to enrich the space of the school for better children development, this article calls attention by the way those resources are associated with the teachers' work, and how they are explicitly expressed as one of their main duties, just as previewed in Min and Ji (2020). This leads to the comprehension that teachers are the main ones in charge of managing the organization of the space of the school and making sure the students are making the best use of it all, turning the environment of the kindergarten an expression of caring and pedagogical planning. Another source for understanding the expectations of the teacher is the content of their training and learning in formal education. According to teacher A, while in university she was presented with two different perspectives over the purpose of organizing the spaces of the school, “Someone said: ‘You should decorate it in a beautiful way’, someone said: ‘[...]You should make a place for kids. From children's perspective’”. When those two perspectives are analysed taking in consideration the phenomenon of affect, it’s perceptive that the second one is focusing on using the space to affect children, turning it more relatable, while the other focuses on beautifying the place, not necessarily mentioning who is supposed to be affected by this decoration. Exposed to those two visions over the topic, the teacher A expressed a preference over one of them: “I prefer the one who is observational, yeah. Who just make environment for kids. [...]”, and she even explained her choice with an experience she had while visiting other kindergartens that not the one she works in: “[...] I have been to the kindergarten like art gallery, and they told the children ‘you can't touch the wall’- because on the wall, they have very big adult’s works… art works [made by adults]. It looks beautiful, but children should restrict themselves. Why is it in [a] kindergarten? I felt uncomfortable in that kindergarten. I can see that kindergarten teachers make a lot of effort on decoration and they lose time to stay with children.” This calls back to Tabea Eimer (2020) that noticed some of the decorations were not accessible for kids, and would rather be used to affect the adults, mostly the parents or even, if we add the considerations of Min and Ji (2020) to fit the government control over environment decoration. After analysing the teacher's speech and comparing them with the statements in the guideline explored before, it seems that the purpose of the organization of the space of a kindergarten varies according to the perspective of each institution and each teacher. In this case, it must be taken in consideration that the kindergarten where the research was runned has its own specificities, as stated by the teacher B: “Our kindergarten is quite autonomous, and it's the teachers who decide how to plan the space. In fact, our classrooms are flexible and can change. Teachers adjust the layout based on their observations of how children use materials and move around during activities”. Here, it’s easier to observe how the mutual aspect of the affectivation works on the management of the classroom space by the teacher, which can be separated in steps that don’t necessarily follow an order by being cyclical. First, the children will interact with the layout of the classroom, being affected by it, while the teachers observe and are affected by the children's interactions. Then, the teachers will arrange the elements, intending to improve the affectivation process between children and environment to achieve a certain pedagogical purpose. And so the movement restarts, through the interactional process in a person > environment > person dynamic. The autonomy of this kindergarten implies more flexibility for the teacher’s arrangement of the classroom, while keeping the main purpose of the arrangement, which is expressed by the teacher A when she says that: “[...] I think [for some kindergartens] decoration is more important than kids. But it's a kindergarten. Kids are more important than everything. But in their practice, no.”. In this kindergarten, children’s works, mostly drawings and photos portraying their games, are exposed all around the school, at the hallways and even in the playground, as shown in the pictures below: During one of the visits, in a meeting that was not recorded, it was possible to ask the vice-principal and the principal about the reason for the use of drawings made by the students as a decoration element for the kindergarten. The answer was that the environment should have an interaction with the children, and give them a sense of safety and control. It was also said that, in the hallways, the drawings are exposed for the parents to see, so the children feel respected, and their beautiful works can be appreciated as deserved. By being so, in this kindergarten the dynamic is inverted, and the children’s works become the ones to be appreciated by the adults. This approach utilizes affective engagement to involve families in the school's educational process by showcasing student work related to kindergarten learning dynamics. Parents are invited to observe their children's learning through the displayed artwork, which also serves as school decoration, just as suggested in the official Guidelines for assessing the quality of kindergarten care and education that advises that: “ Parents have the opportunity to experience kindergarten life [...]. Parents are guided to understand the value of teachers' work to the development of young children [...], to actively participate in and support kindergarten work, and to become partners of kindergartens. ” In this sense, although the artworks produced and displayed on the walls are created by the children and for the school environment, parents are considered an important part of this process. The exhibition of these works thus aims to engage the children’s guardians, fostering a sense of belonging and participation in the school’s daily life. In this way, the environment being transformed is not only physical but also psychological and symbolic. The pedagogical approaches outlined in the institutional guidelines seek to encourage guardians to become more actively involved with the kindergarten. In turn, the guardians also begin to invest, both physically and symbolically, in the kindergarten’s space and their relationship with the school staff, establishing a network of mutual influence between school and family. But it’s in the classrooms where the most of them could be found, as it can be seen in the following (the images were edited with butterflies stickers to prevent children exposition): As outlined in the other guideline provided by the teachers, entitled “ Guidelines for the Learning and Development of Children Aged 3-6” , it’s recommended to: “ Create opportunities for children to be exposed to a variety of art forms and works. For example: [...] Decorate and beautify the environment together with children using drawings, handmade crafts, and other artistic creations.” This relates directly to the kindergarten's decision to display children's artwork to beautify the place, however it is worth highlighting the phrase "decorate and beautify the environment together" once, in other words, despite aiming for children's protagonism, they do not carry out this process alone. As previously discussed, teachers are the ones primarily responsible for organizing the school space, and consequently, they will also perform this task together with the students. Within the classrooms, teachers will have to arrange the environment more frequently, as the space demands greater fluidity and adaptability to embrace children's constantly changing needs. In this context, the process of beautifying the kindergarten space may not hold the same meaning for children, given their lack of complete autonomy in executing this task and, consequently, the decoration designed with considerations beyond the child's perspective, may not resonate with them. Thus, the decoration may have a different effect on the child. 2. Affectivation and decoration of the classroom space So, the comprehension of the affective potential in the decoration of the classroom is pretty clear in the perspective of teacher A, as she says: “So I see these works as a bridge, yeah, as a bridge to communicate because children… they sometimes… most of the time, they can't speak without any intermediary. If they have works, they have pictures, photos, they can think, talk more.” Here, the teacher unintentionally draws a good analogy of the use of the materials exposed in the classroom as a bridge to communicate with children. The teachers make pedagogical use of this interaction between the children and the materials they created in order to approach them with more naturality to the learning content and stimulate the development of the targeted skills. Considering that the children actively made the works displayed in the kindergarten, by observing these works, these children can recall the theme represented in those productions, how it was developed, and its presentation. This active approach allows more engagement of children in the kindergarten activities, as their involvement in creating the final product can cultivate a sense of identification and affection. This occurs because affectivation involves investing in the environment so when children actively participate in decorating the classroom whether through photographs, drawings, or other creative contributions, they draw upon their cultural background and personal perspectives. By adding or removing elements according to their preferences, they shape the space into something familiar and meaningful. As previously mentioned, affectivation is not a passive process but an interactive one. Modifying the environment also impacts the person making the changes, creating a mutual dynamic. In kindergarten, when children personalize their surroundings with their creations, the adapted environment, in turn, interacts with them, nurturing feelings of affection and belonging. For this purpose, the classroom must be organized coherently and be adaptable to the children's various needs. In addition to the drawings, largely displayed on the classroom walls, the teachers will also use other elements to enrich them, like the photo walls showcased in the pictures below: The teacher A shared her experience with the use of photos to enrich the walls in her classroom: “I observed and found that children interact with photos more frequently than their works. Because the photos capture the real moments. Maybe they prefer these things. So I will use more photos on the wall but I think it's not convenient for us to print the photos because it needs to go to another office and ask someone for help” So, she noticed the photos have a better result with the children because they appear to get more engaged and, therefore, affected by them. It is noteworthy that the teacher cannot fully access the reason why children are more drawn to the photographs than to the other elements arranged in the classroom, such as their own drawings. But she can perceive, through their interactions with the environment and their preferences in those interactions, that they are being more affected by this element. Even after acknowledging the difficulty of printing the materials, she affirmed her commitment to doing so and adapting the classroom wall layout accordingly. Teacher A added: “I combined the photo and their words together. Because with the photo, we can talk it. The children will draw and talk to us. We write down and put it together. I think with photo, children will be more [interested]”. This doesn't seem to be exclusive to Professor A's relationship with their class. When asked about her favorite element in the classroom, the teacher B answered “My favorite is the photo wall [...], which is also a favorite of the children and parents”, making it noticeable that both teachers are aware of children's interests which in this case, ended up matching the parents likings as well. Thus, the reorganization of the environment allows for affective engagement, not only from students and the school staff, but also among the children's families, expanding the educational dimension and bringing them to the school and involving them in the pedagogical activities. The previous examples made clear that the teachers are always taking the children in consideration while making decisions over the arrangement of the classroom space. Once the teachers are the ones in daily activity and with closer contact with the kids, they can notice this more easily and directly ask the children what their opinion is. By being so, the teachers have a key position in the kindergarten dynamic once, sometimes, the perspective of the adults could be different from the children's, so they work as a bridge between the children, and the other adults that compose the kindergarten staff, providing information that can be taken in consideration while making decisions for improving the educational setting of the school. Discussion Hana Kikuti Reina Ana Carla Vieira Pio Maria Virgínia Machado Dazzani Pablo Mateus dos Santos Jacinto Luca Tateo Source: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024. Source: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024. During one of the visits, in a meeting that was not recorded, it was possible to ask the vice-principal and the principal about the reason for the use of drawings made by the students as a decoration element for the kindergarten. The answer was that the environment should have an interaction with the children, and give them a sense of safety and control. It was also said that, in the hallways, the drawings are exposed for the parents to see, so the children feel respected, and their beautiful works can be appreciated as deserved. By being so, in this kindergarten the dynamic is inverted, and the children’s works become the ones to be appreciated by the adults. This approach utilizes affective engagement to involve families in the school's educational process by showcasing student work related to kindergarten learning dynamics. Parents are invited to observe their children's learning through the displayed artwork, which also serves as school decoration, just as suggested in the official Guidelines for assessing the quality of kindergarten care and education that advises that: Parents have the opportunity to experience kindergarten life [...]. Parents are guided to understand the value of teachers' work to the development of young children [...], to actively participate in and support kindergarten work, and to become partners of kindergartens. In this sense, although the artworks produced and displayed on the walls are created by the children and for the school environment, parents are considered an important part of this process. The exhibition of these works thus aims to engage the children’s guardians, fostering a sense of belonging and participation in the school’s daily life. In this way, the environment being transformed is not only physical but also psychological and symbolic. The pedagogical approaches outlined in the institutional guidelines seek to encourage guardians to become more actively involved with the kindergarten. In turn, the guardians also begin to invest, both physically and symbolically, in the kindergarten’s space and their relationship with the school staff, establishing a network of mutual influence between school and family. But it’s in the classrooms where the most of them could be found, as it can be seen in the following (the images were edited with butterflies stickers to prevent children exposition): Source: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024. Source: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024. As outlined in the other guideline provided by the teachers, entitled “ Guidelines for the Learning and Development of Children Aged 3–6” , it’s recommended to: Create opportunities for children to be exposed to a variety of art forms and works. For example: [...] Decorate and beautify the environment together with children using drawings, handmade crafts, and other artistic creations. This relates directly to the kindergarten's decision to display children's artwork to beautify the place, however it is worth highlighting the phrase "decorate and beautify the environment together" once, in other words, despite aiming for children's protagonism, they do not carry out this process alone. As previously discussed, teachers are the ones primarily responsible for organizing the school space, and consequently, they will also perform this task together with the students. Within the classrooms, teachers will have to arrange the environment more frequently, as the space demands greater fluidity and adaptability to embrace children's constantly changing needs. In this context, the process of beautifying the kindergarten space may not hold the same meaning for children, given their lack of complete autonomy in executing this task and, consequently, the decoration designed with considerations beyond the child's perspective, may not resonate with them. Thus, the decoration may have a different effect on the child. So I see these works as a bridge, yeah, as a bridge to communicate because children… they sometimes… most of the time, they can't speak without any intermediary. If they have works, they have pictures, photos, they can think, talk more. Here, the teacher unintentionally draws a good analogy of the use of the materials exposed in the classroom as a bridge to communicate with children. The teachers make pedagogical use of this interaction between the children and the materials they created in order to approach them with more naturality to the learning content and stimulate the development of the targeted skills. Considering that the children actively made the works displayed in the kindergarten, by observing these works, these children can recall the theme represented in those productions, how it was developed, and its presentation. This active approach allows more engagement of children in the kindergarten activities, as their involvement in creating the final product can cultivate a sense of identification and affection. This occurs because affectivation involves investing in the environment so when children actively participate in decorating the classroom whether through photographs, drawings, or other creative contributions, they draw upon their cultural background and personal perspectives. By adding or removing elements according to their preferences, they shape the space into something familiar and meaningful. As previously mentioned, affectivation is not a passive process but an interactive one. Modifying the environment also impacts the person making the changes, creating a mutual dynamic. In kindergarten, when children personalize their surroundings with their creations, the adapted environment, in turn, interacts with them, nurturing feelings of affection and belonging. For this purpose, the classroom must be organized coherently and be adaptable to the children's various needs. In addition to the drawings, largely displayed on the classroom walls, the teachers will also use other elements to enrich them, like the photo walls showcased in the pictures below: Source: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024. Source: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024. The teacher A shared her experience with the use of photos to enrich the walls in her classroom: I observed and found that children interact with photos more frequently than their works. Because the photos capture the real moments. Maybe they prefer these things. So I will use more photos on the wall but I think it's not convenient for us to print the photos because it needs to go to another office and ask someone for help So, she noticed the photos have a better result with the children because they appear to get more engaged and, therefore, affected by them. It is noteworthy that the teacher cannot fully access the reason why children are more drawn to the photographs than to the other elements arranged in the classroom, such as their own drawings. But she can perceive, through their interactions with the environment and their preferences in those interactions, that they are being more affected by this element. Even after acknowledging the difficulty of printing the materials, she affirmed her commitment to doing so and adapting the classroom wall layout accordingly. Teacher A added: “I combined the photo and their words together. Because with the photo, we can talk it. The children will draw and talk to us. We write down and put it together. I think with photo, children will be more [interested]”. This doesn't seem to be exclusive to Professor A's relationship with their class. When asked about her favorite element in the classroom, the teacher B answered “My favorite is the photo wall [...], which is also a favorite of the children and parents”, making it noticeable that both teachers are aware of children's interests which in this case, ended up matching the parents likings as well. Thus, the reorganization of the environment allows for affective engagement, not only from students and the school staff, but also among the children's families, expanding the educational dimension and bringing them to the school and involving them in the pedagogical activities. The previous examples made clear that the teachers are always taking the children in consideration while making decisions over the arrangement of the classroom space. Once the teachers are the ones in daily activity and with closer contact with the kids, they can notice this more easily and directly ask the children what their opinion is. By being so, the teachers have a key position in the kindergarten dynamic once, sometimes, the perspective of the adults could be different from the children's, so they work as a bridge between the children, and the other adults that compose the kindergarten staff, providing information that can be taken in consideration while making decisions for improving the educational setting of the school. Conclusion This research demonstrates that teachers are in fact the ones in charge of turning the physical space of the Chinese kindergarten in a pedagogical setting by organizing its elements and enriching it with decorations that serve an educational purpose. This process is permeated by relationships of affect, between the elements that are intentionally disposed to enhance the space of the school and the people that are affected by it, that also interact with the space in a cyclical affective exchange. In the case of the kindergarten analyzed in this research, this affective relationship not only successfully engaged the children in the educational purpose of the school, but the families as well. Data analysis also suggests that describing all environment modification made by teachers as “decoration” can lead to misunderstandings on the complexity of the process and the variety of purposes it can serve. Each teacher can have a different perspective on the functionality of their use of the space, at the same time they have to balance it with the requests of the kindergarten they work in, the principals, the local official guidelines, families, children and even government officials. According to each context, the teachers might need to prioritize some aspects over others during this process, which could result in the use of the resources to “decorate” the school, focusing on making it visually pleasing, but it could also approach more of the idea of a recreation of the space to build a pedagogical setting for the children, without the priority of making it “beautiful”. By what was explored before in this article, the second perspective tends to be more beneficial for children to build a positive affectivation with the school, allowing them to feel invited to participate in the building of the educational space, meanwhile focusing on just decorating the space makes it more attractive to the adults sense of beauty while children may be left aside. It’s also important to point out that the interviews and observations revealed that teachers in this kindergarten face some challenges in their task of classroom recreation highlighting school inflexibility for teachers innovations in the management of the classroom environment, limited material availability due to the redirection of kindergarten funds to other priorities and decision making based on hierarchy that reduces teachers protagonism. These struggles match the ones listed by Gibson and Hadley (2025) and deserve deeper analyses in future research once they could provide essential information for improvements in the way classroom organization is done, as well as help teachers to have more space and recognition for their work which is key to developing new methods of making the kindergarten environment more inviting and efficient for children's education. Declarations This study is ethically grounded in Brazilian regulations, specifically Resolution CNS 510/2016 and Resolution CNS 466/12, and adheres to all ethical principles established therein. Particular emphasis is placed on confidentiality, voluntary participation, and the provision of signed and informed consent by all participants. Ethical approval was obtained through the CEP/CONEP system, the national framework for the ethical review of research involving human subjects in Brazil, which comprises the National Research Ethics Commission (CONEP) and local Research Ethics Committees (CEPs). The approval is registered under the CAAE number 28764219.9.0000.5686. Clinical trial number: not applicable. This research was part of the project Research-Tandem, funded by Universitetet i Oslo , HkDir - The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, at the Faculty of Education Sciences, Department of Special Needs Education. Author Contribution H.K. - Is the main author of this article, main researcher, the one who chose the research topic, and photographed the figures 2-7;H.K., A.C. and X.H. - collected the data and analyzed it;H.K., A.C., P. M., M.V., L.T. - wrote the abstract, introduction and literature review;H.K. with the help of A.P. - wrote the result;H.K. - wrote the conclusion;O.M. - made the graphic in the figure 1;M.V. and L.T. - are the supervisors of the research;M.V. - supervisioned most of final revisions of the article; References Cheng, R. (2023). Cultivating Young Children’s Positive Emotions: Based on Anji Play. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, 8, 556-562. Min, H., & Ji, Y. (2020). Setting the stage: Kindergarten in China as beginning of schooling. In Cultural psychology of education (pp. 17–19). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59735-1_3 Eimer, T. (2020). Cultural objects at ECNU Kindergarten. In Cultural psychology of education (pp. 21–33). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59735-1_4 Brasil. Ministério da Educação. Secretaria de Educação Básica. (2006). Parâmetros básicos de infraestrutura para instituições de educação infantil: Encarte 1. Brasília: MEC, SEB. Brasil. Ministério da Educação. Secretaria de Educação Básica. (2010). Diretrizes curriculares nacionais para a educação infantil. Brasília: MEC, SEB. Cornejo, C., Marsico, G., & Valsiner, J. (Eds.). (2018). I activate you to affect me. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. Costa Castelhano, M. V., da Silva Alves, D. I., Pereira da Silva, R., de Freitas Furtado, M. A., André Guimarães, J. A., Formiga Leite de Almeida, D. M., de Melo Silva, A., Bezerra Jácome, K. L., Farias Saraiva dos Santos, S., Alves de Aquino, L., & da Silva Guimarães, T. T. (2022). A sala de aula e as disposições organizacionais: O espaço físico na mediação da aprendizagem. In M. V. Costa Castelhano et al. (Orgs.), A educação diante das entrelinhas da contemporaneidade: Estudos selecionados (pp. 36-). Belém: RFB. Disponível em https://www.rfbeditora.com/_files/ugd/baca0d_1129c23959694d059ec4c010b4b3f3da.pdf#page=36 DeepL. (2024). DeepL Translator [Machine translation software]. https://www.deepl.com DeepSeek. (2024). DeepSeek Chat [Large language model]. https://www.deepseek.com Eimer, T. (2020). Cultural objects at ECNU kindergarten. Social Ecology of a Chinese Kindergarten: Where culture grows, 21-33. Frago, A. V. & Escolano, A. (2001). Currículo, espaço e subjetividade: a arquitetura como programa. Rio de Janeiro: DP&A. Gibson, P., & Hadley, A. (2025). Working Walls or Instagramable laminates: a reflection on creating purposeful learning environments in the primary classroom. Research in Teacher Education Journal (RiTE) . Google. (n.d.). Google Translate [Machine translation software]. https://translate.google.com Lefebvre, H. (1991). The production of space. Basil Blackwell Ltd. https://monoskop.org/images/7/75/Lefebvre_Henri_The_Production_of_Space.pdf Li, X. W., & Xu, S. S. (2018). Developmental Psychology Research Based on Educational Practice in China. Integrative psychological & behavioral science, 52(3), 341–350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-018-9438-6 Manassakis, E. S. (2020). Children’s participation in the organisation of a kindergarten classroom. Journal of Early Childhood Research , 18 (1), 18-28. Mélo, E. N., Barros, M., Hardman, C., Siqueira, M., Júnior, R. W., & Oliveira, E. (2013). Associação entre o ambiente da escola de educação infantil e o nível de atividade física de crianças pré-escolares. Revista Brasileira de Atividade Física & Saúde, 18(1), 53-62. Moreira, A. R. C. P. (2011). Ambientes da infância e a formação do educador: arranjo espacial no berçário. Tese de Doutorado. Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro. Moro, A., Vinha, T. P., & Morais, A. (2019). Avaliação do clima escolar: construção e validação de instrumentos de medida. Cadernos de Pesquisa, 49(172), 312-335. https://doi.org/10.1590/198053145305 Moser, G. (2018). Introdução à psicologia ambiental: pessoa e ambiente. Campinas: Alínea. OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Version GPT-4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com Qi, X., & Melhuish, E. C. (2016). Early childhood education and care in China: history, current trends and challenges. Early Years, 37(3), 268–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2016.1236780 Raymundo, L. D. S. (2012). Ambiente físico e desenvolvimento psicológico: Investigação do comportamento da criança no espaço de parque das instituições de educação infantil. Ribeiro, S. L. (2004). Espaço escolar: um elemento (in)visível no currículo. Sitientibus . Feira de Santana, 31 , p. 103-118. Rocha, F. K. N. D., & Brito, R. D. M. (2017). Educação infantil: A influência do ambiente físico para o aprendizado e socialização da criança no contexto escolar. Sager, F. (2002). O significado do espaço físico da escola infantil: Uma abordagem das representações sociais do lugar (Tese de doutorado). Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Psicologia. https://lume.ufrgs.br/bitstream/handle/10183/3079/000381720.pdf?sequence=1 Tateo, L., & Marsico, G. (2022). Sensing the city: Affective semiosis and urban border-zones. In Intersemiotic Perspectives on Emotions (pp. 196-209). Routledge. Terrón-Pérez, M., Molina-García, J., Martínez-Bello, V. E., & Queralt, A. (2021). Relationship Between the Physical Environment and Physical Activity Levels in Preschool Children: A Systematic Review. Current environmental health reports, 8(2), 177–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-021-00318-4 Valsiner, J. (1999). I create you to control me: a glimpse into basic processes of semiotic mediation. Human Development, 42, 26-30 Xu, L. (2024). Teachers Are Underestimated Interior Designers: A Narrative Literature Review. Advances in Education, Humanities and Social Science Research , 12 (1), 623-623. Xu, S., & Marsico, G. (2020). Social Ecology of a Chinese Kindergarten Where culture grows . Springer International Publishing. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files ATTACHMENTA.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6590576","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":464756772,"identity":"ca53c4a1-075b-4494-8d9c-e7a68464a5c8","order_by":0,"name":"Hana Kikuti Reina","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Bahia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hana","middleName":"Kikuti","lastName":"Reina","suffix":""},{"id":464756773,"identity":"5b0861ba-8956-4799-8ccb-0f9f49d24e8b","order_by":1,"name":"Ana Carla Vieira Pio","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Bahia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ana","middleName":"Carla Vieira","lastName":"Pio","suffix":""},{"id":464756774,"identity":"d2bd5a8c-de53-4cb0-a2db-24996fb3fada","order_by":2,"name":"Xiaoqian Huang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"East China Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiaoqian","middleName":"","lastName":"Huang","suffix":""},{"id":464756775,"identity":"0fdc4845-a87d-47f6-bfcc-7fcfe81e4ac9","order_by":3,"name":"Maria Virgínia Machado Dazzani","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Bahia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maria","middleName":"Virgínia Machado","lastName":"Dazzani","suffix":""},{"id":464756777,"identity":"047ff6d9-ed3b-429c-b018-9773d6232e33","order_by":4,"name":"Pablo Mateus dos Santos Jacinto","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Bahia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pablo","middleName":"Mateus dos Santos","lastName":"Jacinto","suffix":""},{"id":464756778,"identity":"9f249a82-489e-44ba-a880-cf95c2503583","order_by":5,"name":"Luca Tateo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Oslo","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Luca","middleName":"","lastName":"Tateo","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-05-05 01:08:17","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6590576/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6590576/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":83857602,"identity":"a2363cb0-9f6e-42d1-97ad-367fa796c4c5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 18:07:05","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":56850,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRepresentation of the differentiated process of affectivating between two individuals\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: Jacinto, P. (AUTHOR). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/78c9008f0b355999e7ad1168.png"},{"id":83858018,"identity":"c6f93adc-01bc-45a9-945e-42be4346bfbf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 18:15:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":403877,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eChild drawing representing the playground area, attached to the the structure of the playground;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/a68d3ba7cfc139ecf8da6d30.jpg"},{"id":83857608,"identity":"612d5d53-8c32-4581-acaf-49857f43d191","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 18:07:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":365085,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKindergarten’s corridor wall filled with photographies of children playing and their drawings;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/6a95415b1e0e47f18ed27024.jpg"},{"id":83857609,"identity":"ca83c6ca-296f-4935-a804-336f0c327d0f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 18:07:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":475964,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClassroom wall with drawings made by children portraying their play;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/62be113a63240826e979616f.jpg"},{"id":83857607,"identity":"20042d44-c5d7-46e6-9fbd-fb6b143af531","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 18:07:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":435174,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClassroom wall filled covered with various children artworks including drawing, paintings and collages;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/153b9aac651f86fa440563b3.jpg"},{"id":83858020,"identity":"34a7aea6-3f41-428c-80f7-7427a5a7799a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 18:15:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":595678,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClassroom wall filled with children photos and drawings (the image was edited with butterflies covering children faces to prevent their exposition);\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/4b08978e720435d4f0e78884.jpg"},{"id":83858019,"identity":"766594a9-821f-48fc-87ee-f053b73929a9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 18:15:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":357769,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClassroom wall filled with children photos and a few drawings (the image was edited with butterflies covering children faces to prevent their exposition);\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/23e5c29796b9b9db5251f8e8.jpg"},{"id":103954200,"identity":"279f9c6e-ad5c-4c95-a943-9c04b0749f3a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-05 02:25:01","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3438958,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/66ffebc2-628a-4594-ad36-b051f6a65501.pdf"},{"id":83857605,"identity":"0f69d764-4e19-4e96-ac26-28644101390c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 18:07:05","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":15343,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ATTACHMENTA.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6590576/v1/1490745dc3c2c7231b02bdd6.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Environments that Educate: The Teacher's Perspective and use of Classrooms Decoration in a Chinese Kindergarten","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eReflections on the relationship between physical space and subjective and social experiences have been the subject of multidisciplinary interest, particularly in fields such as architecture (Sager, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e), sociology (Lefebvre, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e), psychology (Moser, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), and education (Moreira, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). Physical space is an element capable of providing important information for understanding the educational project that is being developed. Similarly, it allows us to formulate hypotheses about the underlying conceptions of children and childhood that inform educational practices in daycare centers and early childhood education schools, as well as the conceptions of learning and development that guide and organize pedagogical relationships. Furthermore, physical space enables us to draw inferences about the relationships established among children and between children and teachers and other school staff. This is due to the fact that physical space is not merely a background or setting for pedagogical activities; on the contrary, it is a constitutive element of pedagogical work (Moreira, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTherefore, physical space is not merely a receptacle in which pedagogical practices take place. It has the potential, above all, to promote or inhibit development by providing the conditions for practices of interaction, negotiation, and co-construction of knowledge. According to P\u0026eacute;riard and Liu (2020, p. 35), \u0026ldquo;moral education is highly influenced by cultural background and environment.\u0026rdquo; In other words, physical space should not be perceived as a neutral and independent component but rather as an element that is inevitably linked to and committed to a particular way of conceiving the world. Thus, the educational environment, which includes the organization and decoration of school and classroom spaces, can serve as an important tool for transmitting cultural values (P\u0026eacute;riard and Liu, 2020).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the Chinese context, studies such as those by Li and Xu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) show that early childhood education teachers use and reorganize classroom space to align with the school's pedagogical and cultural purposes, promoting activities that value both collectivity and individual development. The physical environment is thus continually reinterpreted by school actors, becoming a mediator of developmental processes. Terr\u0026oacute;n-P\u0026eacute;rez et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) highlight that school environments with a greater variety of equipment and open spaces promote higher levels of physical activity among children, while restricted or unstimulating environments tend to limit these opportunities. Thus, the connection between physical space, decoration, and development in early childhood schools shows that the school environment is a fundamental dimension for promoting meaningful experiences, learning, and enhancing child development.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe organization and design of educational environments \u0026mdash; including spatial layouts, decorative choices, and materials \u0026mdash; mediate the construction of meanings in different fields of experience of the communities that create them. More than a simple setting, the school environment invites the collective construction of meanings, functioning as a catalyst for child development, continually reinterpreted by pedagogical practices and the cultural values ​​of the school community.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this context, it is essential to consider the historical, cultural, and pedagogical specificities of the Chinese educational system. Early childhood education in China has undergone profound transformations in recent decades, driven by both public policies and international influences, resulting in pedagogical practices that seek to balance traditional Chinese values ​​and new approaches (Qi and Melhuish, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, investigating how decorative elements are arranged in classrooms and in a public kindergarten in Shanghai allows us to analyze how teachers interpret and implement pedagogical guidelines, as well as their motivations and strategies in the face of institutional and cultural demands.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegarding classroom decoration more specifically, few studies have addressed this topic, with existing works limited to analyses of wall usage and classroom floor plans (Lingyun Xu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Lingyun Xu (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) points out that while many studies explored the relationship between students and the classroom environment, only a few studied how teachers relate to this space, and Manassakis (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) adds to it by suggesting further research is needed to explore the interactions among children, teachers, and classroom materials in order to fully understand how these dynamics shape early childhood education. In this sense, the present article aims to explore how decorative elements were arranged in the classroom and hallways of the school from the teachers' perspective and to analyze the motivations related to these dynamics. To this end, the research was conducted in a public kindergarten in the city of Shanghai, China.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe affective organization of educational spaces\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe classroom is not just an instrumental space, but also a symbolic one. It\u0026rsquo;s where the teacher and students spend daily hours together for at least one academic year. It is ought to imagine that it will also hold a relevant affective dimension. The theory of \"affectivating\" - developed by Valsiner (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e) as a neologism that combines the words affect and action - can help to make such a dimension visible (Cornejo, Marsico and Valsiner, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Understanding the phenomenon of affect requires a grasp on the actions that the individual established \u003cem\u003einto\u003c/em\u003e the environment (physical, symbolic, cultural, social, etc.) in which they interact. Therefore, affect is not a passive process of environment\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;person influence but an interactional process: person\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;environment\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;person.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe potential for an environment to affect an individual relates to how meaningful its elements are to that person. Unlike classical psychological theories, which might perceive the environment as monolithic and equally influential to all individuals within it, this perspective understands environmental influence as semiotically mediated and based on the relationship projected by the individual \u003cem\u003einto\u003c/em\u003e the environment. Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e illustrates this process.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere is no inherently hierarchical relationship between the environment and the individual, as the interaction process is mutual (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The outcome of the interaction (R1; R2) varies as individuals actively create meaning from their surroundings, selectively engaging with elements that will impact them. Cornejo, Marsico, and Valsiner (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e, p. 2) summarize this concept by defining affectivation as \"the process by which people act upon the environment, turning it into their own environment, and therefore, becoming themselves sensitive \u0026mdash; affectively tuned \u0026mdash; to it.\" Thus, the environment is not just something the person \u003cem\u003ehappens to be in\u003c/em\u003e, but it is an active interlocutor of the person\u0026rsquo;s semiotic activity. The human environment is filled with signs that partially pre-exist the person and partially are constantly produced and reproduced by the person (Tateo and Marsico, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). By filling the space with peripheral signs the person \u0026ldquo;affectivates\u0026rdquo; the environment by a repertoire of meanings that are potentially available in case of need.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe process of affectivating has a practical effect. According to Abbey and Valsiner (2005), as a person constructs meanings in relation to the environment, the uncertainties and ambiguities of the experience lived in that context are reduced. Thus, on one hand, meanings about the present experience are structured, while on the other hand, the possibility of facing future uncertainties is constructed (Fossa, 2008). We further add that as a person constructs meanings and makes the environment in which they interact familiar, the possibilities for concrete modification of this environment are expanded.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe cultural organization in pedagogical spaces in China\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn a research conducted at the chinese kindergarten of East China Normal University (ECNU), Tabea Eimer (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) analyzes the cultural objects placed in the hallways of the school, and points out their pedagogical purpose for the education of the children. According to her, the decoration on the hallways can also serve an educational purpose, once children tend to explore all the spaces of the schools, not only the classrooms where the primary educational work is done (Tabea Eimer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). However, the author also point out that although the decorative objects have a pedagogical purpose directly related to the children, these objects are also placed out of their reach, on adult\u0026rsquo;s eye level which led to the understanding that despite this pedagogical purpose aimed at children, the school's decoration, in practice, is related to the school's concern with meeting the expectations of the children's parents (Tabea Eimer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to He Min and Yunfei Ji (2020), many early childhood education professionals strive to develop integrative learning rather than teaching divided into separate areas of knowledge. In this sense, the goal is to discuss everyday topics, such as the season of the year, with the purpose of engaging the child in the activity more spontaneously. Additionally, decorating the classroom is part of one of these playful activities. The authors also mention that activities like this help children develop \"experiences, knowledge, and skills in different learning fields\" (Min and Ji, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e, p.18). Finally, the authors argue that this teaching approach aims to contribute to a balance between the nature of children and the demands of society (Min and Ji, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn China, the teachers are the ones that are usually responsible for the task of decorating the classroom (Min and Ji, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). However, even though this role is the teacher 's responsibility, they still have to follow rules and manuals. In this sense, the authors add that \u0026ldquo;it\u0026rsquo;s difficulty for teachers to arrange the free play due to the local government control specific things like the environment decoration [...]\u0026rdquo; (Min and Ji, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e, p.19). Because of this control over how the room should be organized, teachers are not completely free to decide which objects should decorate the room or even how they should be arranged. As a result, due to this lack of autonomy, Chinese teachers can face some difficulties due to the different expectations over their work, and an overload of tasks that they perceive as irrelevant from a pedagogical perspective. As a possible solution to this impasse, the authors suggest that \u0026ldquo;From an ecological point of view, there needs to be more support to kindergarten teachers like space, less classroom scale, less un-educational tasks but autonomy and psychological knowledge to understand young children\u0026rdquo; (Min and Ji, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e, p.19).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThen, the decorations and visuals of the kindergarten aren't thought only for children's pedagogical development, but also, it should match the parent's expectations. This leads to the question: the parents' expectations on the visuals of the space of the kindergarten always match what the children actually need from a pedagogical perspective? By what was described by Tabea Eimer research, it is possible to presume that not, once even the placement of the decorations meant to attract adults are not accessible for children.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThen, two new questions can be asked: Who decides what's pedagogically relevant for the children's educational development? And who's responsible for actually organizing and decorating the space of the kindergarten?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Method","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eResearch question and objectives\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter some visits to the kindergarten observing the teachers' activities and the way they were constantly changing the elements of the classroom space while managing many other activities with the children, one question needed to be answered: how do the teachers decorate the space according to the pedagogical proposal of the school? This research aims to approach an answer and, hopefully, deeply understand how this process works.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo achieve this purpose, it was established as the main objective of this research: To analyze how the teachers of a kindergarten in Shanghai, China, decorate the space of the classroom according to the pedagogical purpose of the school. The main objective was fractionated in 3 steps, which are:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea. Analyze how the classroom decoration is portrayed in the official guidelines that regulate kindergartens and in the way teachers were instructed to perform this task during graduation;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eb. Analyze the process of choosing the materials and the arrangement (positioning) of the elements used for the classroom decoration by the teacher.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ec. Analyze how \u003cem\u003eaffectivation\u003c/em\u003e is present in this process and contributes to achievement of the desired pedagogical purposes;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eResearch context\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe research was realized in a public kindergarten in Shanghai, China. This kindergarten has a special approach on their education purpose that differs from most kindergartens in the country, since they work with \u0026ldquo;Anji Play\u0026rdquo;. Anji Play is an educational method developed by Ms. Cheng Xueqin in Zhejiang Province, China, which has become one of the main focuses of the Ministry of Education for universal access to public early childhood education in China (AnjiPlay, 2024, as cited in Pio, 2025). This method, created for preschool education, is based on structured activities such as games, promoting playful activities that position the child as the protagonist in generating ideas, guiding play, and reflecting on that play (Cheng, 2022, as cited in Pio, 2025). In this sense, Anji Play also advocates for the use of playgrounds and natural materials to carry out these activities, as \u0026ldquo;low-structured play materials are more likely to stimulate children\u0026rsquo;s creativity and imagination\u0026rdquo; (Cheng, p. 556, 2022). Anji Play also promotes activities such as risky play. Activities like climbing, playing in sandboxes, and riding bicycles are developed and practiced with the aim of encouraging children to challenge themselves and build self-confidence (Cheng, 2022). Another interesting aspect concerns the naming of this play. Called \u0026ldquo;real play,\u0026rdquo; this method advocates for these activities as a new form of educational activity, stating that \u0026ldquo;Anji Play transforms traditional play into an outdoor autonomous play education activity that is child-oriented and stimulates their internal motivation to learn\u0026rdquo; (Cheng, p. 557, 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eParticipants\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe participants in the study were two female teachers, each responsible for different classes within the kindergarten, selected based on their availability and willingness to participate. Classroom observations were also made in groups of 5\u0026ndash;6 year old children, chosen from two groups suggested by the school principal, given the openness of the children, and by the teachers, regarding the integration of the researcher into their daily routines. Individual interviews were also carried out with the two selected teachers, based on their availability, each with a different background in their professional experience inside that kindergarten, to explore in greater depth their personal experiences and reflections regarding the arrangement of decorative elements in their respective classrooms.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData production\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBy observing and analyzing a classroom space in a public kindergarten in Shanghai, China, through 12 days, 3 days a week during the morning period, each one lasting around 2h30, it was possible to approach how teachers' use and recreate the classroom space according to the school's pedagogical objectives, and observe the dynamics of their daily routine. The teacher's guidelines were analyzed, and their interactions with the principal and vice principal were observed. Moreover, to approach the teachers\u0026rsquo; perspective about their use of the classroom setting and how those elements influenced their choices during this process, two of them were interviewed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe purpose of those visits was to observe the routine of the teachers and kids, and their use of the space of the school, and also approach the foreigner researcher to the possible participants. The observation visits were not only important for data collection, but also for the adaptation of the researcher in the field, by being in a really different environment, the foreigner researcher may notice as extraordinary, things that seem ordinary for most of the natives of the country they are. But also, the opposite could happen - by not being familiar with the routines, social rules, laws, and common knowledge that the people that live in that country will in the daily life, the foreigner could also ignore or be unaware of the things that are clear or extraordinary for the ones that are inserted in that culture. That's why, even before the foreign researchers defined the research topic, the visits had already started.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDuring these observations, it was possible to take notes on the interactions between the kids, teacher, principals, and other staff within each other and the physical space of the kindergarten, and also photograph the structure of the school and the elements displaced in it for later analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eInstruments\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the data collection, 2 individual semi-structured interviews were planned, of which 1 could only be made digitally due to the teacher disponibility, where participant received a link for an online shared document that contained the questions in English and Chinese, and was asked to answer them in their language of preference, therefore, being adapted to an structured interview. The other one was possible to be done in person with minor need of translation, once the teacher interviewed could understand and speak in English. The questions and their translation for both languages can be checked in the Appendix A.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe agreement term signed by the participants also contained orientation on their rights such as having their identity and other personal information preserved, as not be part of the research if they decide to. In the documentation, it was also provided information for contacting the researcher and the supervisors of the project if they need. The documents were presented both in English and Chinese for easy clarification.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe translations of documents and guidelines were assisted by the use of AI-assisted tools (DeepL, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Google, n.d.; OpenAI, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) and later verified by the author. These tools were also used to correct English mistakes during the writing of this article. All the analysis in this article was made solely by human authors, while the AI tools listed above were used exclusively to improve phrasing and translation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eData analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data collected through the observations, readings of official documents that regulate chinese kindergarten education, and interviews were divided into two topics of interest entitled \u0026ldquo;What\u0026rsquo;s expected from the teachers work\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Affectivation and decoration of the classroom space\u0026rdquo;. Those topics focus the analyses on different aspects that are relevant for the understanding of the context, conflicts and choices made by the teachers during their use of the space of the classroom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe qualitative analysis approach was well-suited and aligned with the research objectives for data examination. Field observations and notes served as a guiding framework to identify and distinguish relevant events for analysis, which were later used to structure this article. The data collected through field observations and interviews was systematically organized and categorized based on recurring themes, following a thematic analysis methodology. The interviews were analyzed in accordance with the two predefined topics outlined earlier.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe data collected through observations, interactions during visits to the kindergarten, review of Chinese educational regulatory documents, and interviews revealed that teachers perform various roles, each with multifaceted considerations. The organization of the classroom is just one of them, but it still exemplifies how thoughtful the teachers have to be in their choices, and the diverse demands they have to balance. Having this in mind, the first thing to be explored regarding the way teachers manage the classroom arrangement, is the way it is advised by the official guidelines that regulate the Chinese educational system.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1. What\u0026rsquo;s expected from the teachers work\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the documents shared by the teachers during the interview is the \u003cstrong\u003eUpdated Kindergarten Regulations, 2016\u003c/strong\u003e. At the the \u003cstrong\u003eChapter VII. Kindergarten staff\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eon the \u003cstrong\u003eArticle 41\u003c/strong\u003e its established that:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[...] Kindergarten teachers are fully responsible for the work of their classes, and their main duties are as follows: [...] (2) creating a good educational environment, reasonably organizing the contents of the education, providing a wealth of toys and play materials, and carrying out appropriate educational activities; [...]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBesides providing a list of resources suggested to enrich the space of the school for better children development, this article calls attention by the way those resources are associated with the teachers\u0026apos; work, and how they are explicitly expressed as one of their main duties, just as previewed in Min and Ji (2020). This leads to the comprehension that teachers are the main ones in charge of managing the organization of the space of the school and making sure the students are making the best use of it all, turning the environment of the kindergarten an expression of caring and pedagogical planning.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother source for understanding the expectations of the teacher is the content of their training and learning in formal education. According to teacher A, while in university she was presented with two different perspectives over the purpose of organizing the spaces of the school, \u0026ldquo;Someone said: \u0026lsquo;You should decorate it in a beautiful way\u0026rsquo;, someone said: \u0026lsquo;[...]You should make a place for kids. From children\u0026apos;s perspective\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;. When those two perspectives are analysed taking in consideration the phenomenon of affect, it\u0026rsquo;s perceptive that the second one is focusing on using the space to affect children, turning it more relatable, while the other focuses on beautifying the place, not necessarily mentioning who is supposed to be affected by this decoration. Exposed to those two visions over the topic, the teacher A expressed a preference over one of them: \u0026ldquo;I prefer the one who is observational, yeah. Who just make environment for kids. [...]\u0026rdquo;, and she even explained her choice with an experience she had while visiting other kindergartens that not the one she works in:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;[...] I have been to the kindergarten like art gallery, and they told the children \u0026lsquo;you can\u0026apos;t touch the wall\u0026rsquo;- because on the wall, they have very big adult\u0026rsquo;s works\u0026hellip; art works [made by adults]. It looks beautiful, but children should restrict themselves. Why is it in [a] kindergarten? I felt uncomfortable in that kindergarten. I can see that kindergarten teachers make a lot of effort on decoration and they lose time to stay with children.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis calls back to Tabea Eimer (2020) that noticed some of the decorations were not accessible for kids, and would rather be used to affect the adults, mostly the parents or even, if we add the considerations of Min and Ji (2020) to fit the government control over environment decoration. After analysing the teacher\u0026apos;s speech and comparing them with the statements in the guideline explored before, it seems that the purpose of the organization of the space of a kindergarten varies according to the perspective of each institution and each teacher. In this case, it must be taken in consideration that the kindergarten where the research was runned has its own specificities, as stated by the teacher B:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Our kindergarten is quite autonomous, and it\u0026apos;s the teachers who decide how to plan the space. In fact, our classrooms are flexible and can change. Teachers adjust the layout based on their observations of how children use materials and move around during activities\u0026rdquo;.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere, it\u0026rsquo;s easier to observe how the mutual aspect of the affectivation works on the management of the classroom space by the teacher, which can be separated in steps that don\u0026rsquo;t necessarily follow an order by being cyclical. First, the children will interact with the layout of the classroom, being affected by it, while the teachers observe and are affected by the children\u0026apos;s interactions. Then, the teachers will arrange the elements, intending to improve the affectivation process between children and environment to achieve a certain pedagogical purpose. And so the movement restarts, through the interactional process in a person \u0026gt; environment \u0026gt; person dynamic.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe autonomy of this kindergarten implies more flexibility for the teacher\u0026rsquo;s arrangement of the classroom, while keeping the main purpose of the arrangement, which is expressed by the teacher A when she says that: \u0026ldquo;[...] I think [for some kindergartens] decoration is more important than kids. But it\u0026apos;s a kindergarten. Kids are more important than everything. But in their practice, no.\u0026rdquo;. In this kindergarten, children\u0026rsquo;s works, mostly drawings and photos portraying their games, are exposed all around the school, at the hallways and even in the playground, as shown in the pictures below:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring one of the visits, in a meeting that was not recorded, it was possible to ask the vice-principal and the principal about the reason for the use of drawings made by the students as a decoration element for the kindergarten. The answer was that the environment should have an interaction with the children, and give them a sense of safety and control. It was also said that, in the hallways, the drawings are exposed for the parents to see, so the children feel respected, and their beautiful works can be appreciated as deserved. By being so, in this kindergarten the dynamic is inverted, and the children\u0026rsquo;s works become the ones to be appreciated by the adults. This approach utilizes affective engagement to involve families in the school\u0026apos;s educational process by showcasing student work related to kindergarten learning dynamics. Parents are invited to observe their children\u0026apos;s learning through the displayed artwork, which also serves as school decoration, just as suggested in the official \u003cstrong\u003eGuidelines for assessing the quality of kindergarten care and education\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003ethat advises that:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003c/strong\u003eParents have the opportunity to experience kindergarten life [...]. Parents are guided to understand the value of teachers\u0026apos; work to the development of young children [...], to actively participate in and support kindergarten work, and to become partners of kindergartens.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this sense, although the artworks produced and displayed on the walls are created by the children and for the school environment, parents are considered an important part of this process. The exhibition of these works thus aims to engage the children\u0026rsquo;s guardians, fostering a sense of belonging and participation in the school\u0026rsquo;s daily life. In this way, the environment being transformed is not only physical but also psychological and symbolic. The pedagogical approaches outlined in the institutional guidelines seek to encourage guardians to become more actively involved with the kindergarten. In turn, the guardians also begin to invest, both physically and symbolically, in the kindergarten\u0026rsquo;s space and their relationship with the school staff, establishing a network of mutual influence between school and family.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut it\u0026rsquo;s in the classrooms where the most of them could be found, as it can be seen in the following (the images were edited with butterflies stickers to prevent children exposition):\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs outlined in the other guideline provided by the teachers, entitled \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003eGuidelines for the Learning and Development of Children Aged 3-6\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e, it\u0026rsquo;s recommended to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u003c/strong\u003eCreate opportunities for children to be exposed to a variety of art forms and works. For example: [...] Decorate and beautify the environment together with children using drawings, handmade crafts, and other artistic creations.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis relates directly to the kindergarten\u0026apos;s decision to display children\u0026apos;s artwork to beautify the place, however it is worth highlighting the phrase \u0026quot;decorate and beautify the environment together\u0026quot; once, in other words, despite aiming for children\u0026apos;s protagonism, they do not carry out this process alone. As previously discussed, teachers are the ones primarily responsible for organizing the school space, and consequently, they will also perform this task together with the students. Within the classrooms, teachers will have to arrange the environment more frequently, as the space demands greater fluidity and adaptability to embrace children\u0026apos;s constantly changing needs. In this context, the process of beautifying the kindergarten space may not hold the same meaning for children, given their lack of complete autonomy in executing this task and, consequently, the decoration designed with considerations beyond the child\u0026apos;s perspective, may not resonate with them. Thus, the decoration may have a different effect on the child.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2. Affectivation and decoration of the classroom space\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, the comprehension of the affective potential in the decoration of the classroom is pretty clear in the perspective of teacher A, as she says:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;So I see these works as a bridge, yeah, as a bridge to communicate because children\u0026hellip; they sometimes\u0026hellip; most of the time, they can\u0026apos;t speak without any intermediary. If they have works, they have pictures, photos, they can think, talk more.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere, the teacher unintentionally draws a good analogy of the use of the materials exposed in the classroom as a bridge to communicate with children. The teachers make pedagogical use of this interaction between the children and the materials they created in order to approach them with more naturality to the learning content and stimulate the development of the targeted skills. Considering that the children actively made the works displayed in the kindergarten, by observing these works, these children can recall the theme represented in those productions, how it was developed, and its presentation.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis active approach allows more engagement of children in the kindergarten activities, as their involvement in creating the final product can cultivate a sense of identification and affection. This occurs because affectivation involves investing in the environment so when children actively participate in decorating the classroom whether through photographs, drawings, or other creative contributions, they draw upon their cultural background and personal perspectives. By adding or removing elements according to their preferences, they shape the space into something familiar and meaningful. As previously mentioned, affectivation is not a passive process but an interactive one. Modifying the environment also impacts the person making the changes, creating a mutual dynamic. In kindergarten, when children personalize their surroundings with their creations, the adapted environment, in turn, interacts with them, nurturing feelings of affection and belonging.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this purpose, the classroom must be organized coherently and be adaptable to the children\u0026apos;s various needs. In addition to the drawings, largely displayed on the classroom walls, the teachers will also use other elements to enrich them, like the photo walls showcased in the pictures below:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe teacher A shared her experience with the use of photos to enrich the walls in her classroom:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;I observed and found that children interact with photos more frequently than their works. Because the photos capture the real moments. Maybe they prefer these things. So I will use more photos on the wall but I think it\u0026apos;s not convenient for us to print the photos because it needs to go to another office and ask someone for help\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, she noticed the photos have a better result with the children because they appear to get more engaged and, therefore, affected by them. It is noteworthy that the teacher cannot fully access the reason why children are more drawn to the photographs than to the other elements arranged in the classroom, such as their own drawings. But she can perceive, through their interactions with the environment and their preferences in those interactions, that they are being more affected by this element.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven after acknowledging the difficulty of printing the materials, she affirmed her commitment to doing so and adapting the classroom wall layout accordingly. Teacher A added:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;I combined the photo and their words together. Because with the photo, we can talk it. The children will draw and talk to us. We write down and put it together. I think with photo, children will be more [interested]\u0026rdquo;.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis doesn\u0026apos;t seem to be exclusive to Professor A\u0026apos;s relationship with their class.\u0026nbsp;When asked about her favorite element in the classroom, the teacher B answered \u0026ldquo;My favorite is the photo wall [...], which is also a favorite of the children and parents\u0026rdquo;, making it noticeable that both teachers are aware of children\u0026apos;s interests which in this case, ended up matching the parents likings as well. Thus, the reorganization of the environment allows for affective engagement, not only from students and the school staff, but also among the children\u0026apos;s families, expanding the educational dimension and bringing them to the school and involving them in the pedagogical activities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;The previous examples made clear that the teachers are always taking the children in consideration while making decisions over the arrangement of the classroom space. Once the teachers are the ones in daily activity and with closer contact with the kids, they can notice this more easily and directly ask the children what their opinion is. By being so, the teachers have a key position in the kindergarten dynamic once, sometimes, the perspective of the adults could be different from the children\u0026apos;s, so they work as a bridge between the children, and the other adults that compose the kindergarten staff, providing information that can be taken in consideration while making decisions for improving the educational setting of the school.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eHana Kikuti Reina\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAna Carla Vieira Pio\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaria Virg\u0026iacute;nia Machado Dazzani\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePablo Mateus dos Santos Jacinto\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLuca Tateo\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring one of the visits, in a meeting that was not recorded, it was possible to ask the vice-principal and the principal about the reason for the use of drawings made by the students as a decoration element for the kindergarten. The answer was that the environment should have an interaction with the children, and give them a sense of safety and control. It was also said that, in the hallways, the drawings are exposed for the parents to see, so the children feel respected, and their beautiful works can be appreciated as deserved. By being so, in this kindergarten the dynamic is inverted, and the children\u0026rsquo;s works become the ones to be appreciated by the adults. This approach utilizes affective engagement to involve families in the school's educational process by showcasing student work related to kindergarten learning dynamics. Parents are invited to observe their children's learning through the displayed artwork, which also serves as school decoration, just as suggested in the official \u003cb\u003eGuidelines for assessing the quality of kindergarten care and education\u003c/b\u003e that advises that:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eParents have the opportunity to experience kindergarten life [...]. Parents are guided to understand the value of teachers' work to the development of young children [...], to actively participate in and support kindergarten work, and to become partners of kindergartens.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this sense, although the artworks produced and displayed on the walls are created by the children and for the school environment, parents are considered an important part of this process. The exhibition of these works thus aims to engage the children\u0026rsquo;s guardians, fostering a sense of belonging and participation in the school\u0026rsquo;s daily life. In this way, the environment being transformed is not only physical but also psychological and symbolic. The pedagogical approaches outlined in the institutional guidelines seek to encourage guardians to become more actively involved with the kindergarten. In turn, the guardians also begin to invest, both physically and symbolically, in the kindergarten\u0026rsquo;s space and their relationship with the school staff, establishing a network of mutual influence between school and family.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut it\u0026rsquo;s in the classrooms where the most of them could be found, as it can be seen in the following (the images were edited with butterflies stickers to prevent children exposition):\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs outlined in the other guideline provided by the teachers, entitled \u0026ldquo;\u003cb\u003eGuidelines for the Learning and Development of Children Aged 3\u0026ndash;6\u0026rdquo;\u003c/b\u003e, it\u0026rsquo;s recommended to:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCreate opportunities for children to be exposed to a variety of art forms and works. For example: [...] Decorate and beautify the environment together with children using drawings, handmade crafts, and other artistic creations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis relates directly to the kindergarten's decision to display children's artwork to beautify the place, however it is worth highlighting the phrase \"decorate and beautify the environment together\" once, in other words, despite aiming for children's protagonism, they do not carry out this process alone. As previously discussed, teachers are the ones primarily responsible for organizing the school space, and consequently, they will also perform this task together with the students. Within the classrooms, teachers will have to arrange the environment more frequently, as the space demands greater fluidity and adaptability to embrace children's constantly changing needs. In this context, the process of beautifying the kindergarten space may not hold the same meaning for children, given their lack of complete autonomy in executing this task and, consequently, the decoration designed with considerations beyond the child's perspective, may not resonate with them. Thus, the decoration may have a different effect on the child.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSo I see these works as a bridge, yeah, as a bridge to communicate because children\u0026hellip; they sometimes\u0026hellip; most of the time, they can't speak without any intermediary. If they have works, they have pictures, photos, they can think, talk more.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHere, the teacher unintentionally draws a good analogy of the use of the materials exposed in the classroom as a bridge to communicate with children. The teachers make pedagogical use of this interaction between the children and the materials they created in order to approach them with more naturality to the learning content and stimulate the development of the targeted skills. Considering that the children actively made the works displayed in the kindergarten, by observing these works, these children can recall the theme represented in those productions, how it was developed, and its presentation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis active approach allows more engagement of children in the kindergarten activities, as their involvement in creating the final product can cultivate a sense of identification and affection. This occurs because affectivation involves investing in the environment so when children actively participate in decorating the classroom whether through photographs, drawings, or other creative contributions, they draw upon their cultural background and personal perspectives. By adding or removing elements according to their preferences, they shape the space into something familiar and meaningful. As previously mentioned, affectivation is not a passive process but an interactive one. Modifying the environment also impacts the person making the changes, creating a mutual dynamic. In kindergarten, when children personalize their surroundings with their creations, the adapted environment, in turn, interacts with them, nurturing feelings of affection and belonging.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor this purpose, the classroom must be organized coherently and be adaptable to the children's various needs. In addition to the drawings, largely displayed on the classroom walls, the teachers will also use other elements to enrich them, like the photo walls showcased in the pictures below:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Kikuti, H. (PHOTOGRAPHER). 2024.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe teacher A shared her experience with the use of photos to enrich the walls in her classroom:\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI observed and found that children interact with photos more frequently than their works. Because the photos capture the real moments. Maybe they prefer these things. So I will use more photos on the wall but I think it's not convenient for us to print the photos because it needs to go to another office and ask someone for help\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo, she noticed the photos have a better result with the children because they appear to get more engaged and, therefore, affected by them. It is noteworthy that the teacher cannot fully access the reason why children are more drawn to the photographs than to the other elements arranged in the classroom, such as their own drawings. But she can perceive, through their interactions with the environment and their preferences in those interactions, that they are being more affected by this element.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEven after acknowledging the difficulty of printing the materials, she affirmed her commitment to doing so and adapting the classroom wall layout accordingly. Teacher A added:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;I combined the photo and their words together. Because with the photo, we can talk it. The children will draw and talk to us. We write down and put it together. I think with photo, children will be more [interested]\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis doesn't seem to be exclusive to Professor A's relationship with their class. When asked about her favorite element in the classroom, the teacher B answered \u0026ldquo;My favorite is the photo wall [...], which is also a favorite of the children and parents\u0026rdquo;, making it noticeable that both teachers are aware of children's interests which in this case, ended up matching the parents likings as well. Thus, the reorganization of the environment allows for affective engagement, not only from students and the school staff, but also among the children's families, expanding the educational dimension and bringing them to the school and involving them in the pedagogical activities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe previous examples made clear that the teachers are always taking the children in consideration while making decisions over the arrangement of the classroom space. Once the teachers are the ones in daily activity and with closer contact with the kids, they can notice this more easily and directly ask the children what their opinion is. By being so, the teachers have a key position in the kindergarten dynamic once, sometimes, the perspective of the adults could be different from the children's, so they work as a bridge between the children, and the other adults that compose the kindergarten staff, providing information that can be taken in consideration while making decisions for improving the educational setting of the school.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis research demonstrates that teachers are in fact the ones in charge of turning the physical space of the Chinese kindergarten in a pedagogical setting by organizing its elements and enriching it with decorations that serve an educational purpose. This process is permeated by relationships of affect, between the elements that are intentionally disposed to enhance the space of the school and the people that are affected by it, that also interact with the space in a cyclical affective exchange. In the case of the kindergarten analyzed in this research, this affective relationship not only successfully engaged the children in the educational purpose of the school, but the families as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData analysis also suggests that describing all environment modification made by teachers as \u0026ldquo;decoration\u0026rdquo; can lead to misunderstandings on the complexity of the process and the variety of purposes it can serve. Each teacher can have a different perspective on the functionality of their use of the space, at the same time they have to balance it with the requests of the kindergarten they work in, the principals, the local official guidelines, families, children and even government officials. According to each context, the teachers might need to prioritize some aspects over others during this process, which could result in the use of the resources to \u0026ldquo;decorate\u0026rdquo; the school, focusing on making it visually pleasing, but it could also approach more of the idea of a recreation of the space to build a pedagogical setting for the children, without the priority of making it \u0026ldquo;beautiful\u0026rdquo;. By what was explored before in this article, the second perspective tends to be more beneficial for children to build a positive affectivation with the school, allowing them to feel invited to participate in the building of the educational space, meanwhile focusing on just decorating the space makes it more attractive to the adults sense of beauty while children may be left aside.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s also important to point out that the interviews and observations revealed that teachers in this kindergarten face some challenges in their task of classroom recreation highlighting school inflexibility for teachers innovations in the management of the classroom environment, limited material availability due to the redirection of kindergarten funds to other priorities and decision making based on hierarchy that reduces teachers protagonism. These struggles match the ones listed by Gibson and Hadley (2025) and deserve deeper analyses in future research once they could provide essential information for improvements in the way classroom organization is done, as well as help teachers to have more space and recognition for their work which is key to developing new methods of making the kindergarten environment more inviting and efficient for children\u0026apos;s education.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study is ethically grounded in Brazilian regulations, specifically Resolution CNS 510/2016 and Resolution CNS 466/12, and adheres to all ethical principles established therein. Particular emphasis is placed on confidentiality, voluntary participation, and the provision of signed and informed consent by all participants. Ethical approval was obtained through the CEP/CONEP system, the national framework for the ethical review of research involving human subjects in Brazil, which comprises the National Research Ethics Commission (CONEP) and local Research Ethics Committees (CEPs). The approval is registered under the CAAE number 28764219.9.0000.5686. Clinical trial number: not applicable. This research was part of the project Research-Tandem, funded by \u003cstrong\u003eUniversitetet i Oslo\u003c/strong\u003e, HkDir - The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, at the Faculty of Education Sciences, Department of Special Needs Education.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH.K. - Is the main author of this article, main researcher, the one who chose the research topic, and photographed the figures 2-7;H.K., A.C. and X.H. - collected the data and analyzed it;H.K., A.C., P. M., M.V., L.T. - wrote the abstract, introduction and literature review;H.K. with the help of A.P. - wrote the result;H.K. - wrote the conclusion;O.M. - made the graphic in the figure 1;M.V. and L.T. - are the supervisors of the research;M.V. - supervisioned most of final revisions of the article;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCheng, R. (2023). Cultivating Young Children\u0026rsquo;s Positive Emotions: Based on Anji Play. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, 8, 556-562.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMin, H., \u0026amp; Ji, Y. (2020). Setting the stage: Kindergarten in China as beginning of schooling. In Cultural psychology of education (pp. 17\u0026ndash;19). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59735-1_3\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEimer, T. (2020). Cultural objects at ECNU Kindergarten. 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Springer International Publishing.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Decoration, Affectivation, Teacher, Kindergarten Education","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6590576/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6590576/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThere is a connection between the physical environment of the school and the development and learning of children in early childhood education. Institutional aspects and pedagogical proposals are reflected in teachers' actions regarding the classroom space. The aim of this study was to analyze how kindergarten teachers in Shanghai, China, use and recreate the classroom space according to the school 's pedagogical objectives, trying to answer the question \u0026ldquo;how do the teachers decorate the space according to the pedagogical proposal of the school?\u0026rdquo;. Trata-se de um estudo de caso relacionado ao ambiente f\u0026iacute;sico de um kindergarten. The present article sought to explore how decorative elements were arranged in the classroom and hallways of the school from the teachers' perspective and to analyze the motivations related to these dynamics. Observations were conducted in a class of 5 and 6 year old children over a three-month period, and two teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. The data collected was analyzed using the concept of \u003cem\u003eaffectivation\u003c/em\u003e and the notion of physical school space usage proposed by P\u0026eacute;riard and Liu (2020). The findings suggest that classroom decoration was employed in that school as a significant pedagogical strategy to support children's development and learning.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Environments that Educate: The Teacher's Perspective and use of Classrooms Decoration in a Chinese Kindergarten","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-03 18:07:00","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6590576/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e2e8954f-ffb7-48a2-b0b2-08f96123ac77","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 3rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-05T02:24:30+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-03 18:07:00","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6590576","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6590576","identity":"rs-6590576","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}