Research
Optimal Learning Environments at Danish Primary Schools
By Frans Ørsted Andersen
In recent, international, comparative, educational studies, like the OECD Pisa studies1, Denmark gets a top ranking position when measuring student well-being and motivation. According to the flow-theory of professor, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Claremont Graduate University, this could suggest high levels of flow at Danish schools – and an on-going study, conducted by researcher, Frans Ørsted Andersen from the Danish University of Education / LEGO Learning Institute, indeed seems to confirm this.
A number of sampled, well-functioning, but otherwise average primary schools around in Denmark are apparently very good at developing such flow-environments. A special model that combines traditional teaching methods with more advanced theme or project learning seems to be the key of understanding the Danish “flow”-success. In that model the teacher’s role is very flexible and the mere culture at the school helps provide high levels of intrinsic motivation.
The “Book Window”
It is a cold December day at an average Danish primary school situated in the suburbs of Odense, the third largest city of Denmark. A group of 3 pupils from third grade enjoy themselves, reading at the “book window” in their classroom. They are deeply absorbed in their work-studying “Christmas” as a crosscurricular theme, involving the subjects, Danish, Art and Music.
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