Open Classroom - Open-space School

The open-space school concept was introduced into the United States in the 1970s as an experimental elementary school architecture where the physical walls separating classrooms were removed to promote movement across class areas by teachers. However, in practice this is not typical since teachers, following social conventions, tend to teach in a traditional manner as if the walls were still present. Further, modern open-space schools tend to use modular furniture to separate class rooms in a manner similar to "Cubicle farms" used in many corporate environment.

Other benefits of open space schools included easily reconfigurable class room space, reduced school construction, reduced maintenance, and reduced school heating costs due to the open space architecture.

Klein found in a 1975 study that third graders with low levels of anxiety were more creative in open schools than in traditional school. Children with high levels of anxiety showed no differences between open-space and traditional school models. Students in open-spaced schools scored higher on preference for novelty and change (Elias & Elias, 1976).