VIRTUAL Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

The National Education Policy 2020 presents a forward-looking plan for education in India with the restructuring of ‘10+2 structure’ ongoing since the 1970s. The policy insists on flexibility, inclusivity, and learner-centric environments while most schools continue to follow rigid, antiquated spatial layouts, making it difficult to implement NEP’s pedagogical recommendations. This study evaluates how Participatory Design (PD) could bridge the gap between policy and practice by including learners, teachers, and architects in developing learning environments that meet changing educational demands. The study begins with a literature review that examines existing research on school design and participatory approaches in global and Indian settings. The synthesis indicates a significant gap that although PD has been successfully implemented in Western countries, its application in Indian school design remains largely unexplored. The study then presents a comparative case study analysis of schools designed following the traditional layouts versus those incorporating participatory design. The results identify the key challenges in current school spatial layouts, how Participatory Design ensures educational architecture aligns with NEP’s goals and suggest applicable layouts for schools. The study area includes selected primary schools in Gujarat’s largest city, Ahmedabad, located in western India. By interlacing the thread between policy (NEP 2020), pedagogy (NCF 2022), and the need for amendments in the ‘Indian Standard of School Buildings’ (1978), this study suggests that Participatory Design between stakeholders and learners is the way forward. The findings of this study determine alternative suitable layouts that strengthen interactive and effective learning, making primary schools more responsive to radical shifts in the policy.