Abstract:
The objectives of this research were to study area arrangement within the earlychildhood classroom supporting active learning as well as recommend guidelines for architectural area arrangement and design within the early childhood classroom supporting active learning. Target group was a school under the Office of the Basic Education Commission, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, which was Bankhwao Wittaya School. Research tools included interview form, questionnaire, physical environment survey. Statistics used were means ( X ), standard deviations (S.D.) and percentage. The research found that the layout of the floor plan within the classroom required teaching factor supporting children to perform learning activities on their own. The space was divided into six parts, namely bag and
bedding storage, multi-purpose area in the middle of the room, storage area for teaching materials of teacher, teachers area, sink area and six small play corners, which were block corner, imaginative house/role play corner, book corner, educational game/touch toy corner, art corner, and music corner, which must be separated from the non-sound area. Guidelines for area arrangement and interior
design within the early childhood classroom supporting active learning suggested that if the classroom was 6.6 meters wide, 8.8 meters long and 3 meters high, it could be used as a common area or multi-purpose area to support all five daily activities, including movement and rhythmic activities, experience-enhancing activities, creative arts activities, corner play activities and educational game activities. To emphasize safety for children, dangerous corners should be removed. The area should be non-slippery and had a space designed for children to find, use and store things easily by repositioning media rack around the room to support teaching that encouraged children to practice by themselves and suitable for individual activities, small and large group activities. Inside the room, there should be floating furniture to facilitate the change of area according to activities.