Mathematics teachers and the role of physical environment

The physical environment (PE) affects the teaching and learning in school. Research is conclusive that different characteristics of PE can be enabling or hindering learningactivities. Still, we need to know more about the role of PE in mathematics education to utilize what a good PE can offer and to avoid the hindering situations. The aim of this study is to characterize the different roles PE play in relation to the teacher, the student, the learning content, and their interactions. For this, mathematics teachers’ stories about their experiences of PE in teaching are analysed. The results show that teachers often try to prevent disturbances or distractions from insufficiencies in PE. The results also suggest that aspects of classroom PE, such as classroom layout, sustain classroom norms whereas other elements in PE can be an aid in breaking norms