Improving Academic Performance Through Environmental Design
Uncovering behavioural insights in a secondary school
Project Meta
Location
Secondary school
Year
3 Months
Team
Service Design Team + 2 Child Psychologists
Participants
22 Students (Ages 12-14)
Context & Challenge
A private school in Mashhad observed a significant decline in academic performance over two years. Despite excellent facilities and resources, neither parents nor teachers could identify the root cause of falling grades and disengagement. The mystery was particularly puzzling given the school's reputation and infrastructure, something systemic was affecting student performance, but traditional assessments weren't revealing the issue.
22
Students Interviewed
3
Months Research
12-14
Years Old
Research & Discovery
Our service design team collaborated closely with two child psychologists, spending time in the classroom environment to build genuine rapport with students. With parental consent, we conducted recorded interviews that revealed surprising insights about the learning environment.
Key Finding
The school's most famous math teacher maintained a strict, individual-focused teaching style that limited peer collaboration and teamwork.
Environmental Barrier
Traditional row seating prevented face-to-face interaction, reinforcing isolated learning patterns.
Student Insight
Students expressed strong preference for collaborative learning and teamwork, which contradicted the current classroom structure.
Behavioral Pattern
Students were more engaged and motivated when given opportunities to work together and discuss problems.
Design Solution
Rather than changing teaching methods directly, we redesigned the physical learning environment to enable collaboration. We reconfigured the math classroom furniture into small circular arrangements, allowing students to sit facing each other and naturally engage in teamwork. This environmental intervention created space for collaborative learning without requiring the teacher to dramatically alter their established approach.
Impact & Long-Term Results
The school tracked academic performance and student satisfaction through grade reports and semester surveys for two years following the intervention. The results demonstrated sustained improvement through a simple environmental design change. ​
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Improved Academic Performance: Consistent growth in math grades tracked across 4 semester reports
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Increased Student Satisfaction: Positive shifts in semester satisfaction surveys regarding classroom experience
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Enhanced Collaboration: Students reported greater engagement and peer learning opportunities
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Sustainable Change: The circular seating arrangement became permanent classroom standard
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Behavioral Shift: Teachers observed increased student participation and discussion during lessons
Key Insight
Sometimes the most impactful service design interventions aren't about changing people, they're about changing the environment to enable better behaviors naturally. By understanding what students actually needed (collaboration) and removing the physical barriers preventing it, we created lasting positive change without requiring the famous teacher to fundamentally change their teaching philosophy.