Abstract
Purpose: The study used the Delphi method to determine (1) characteristics (e.g., daylighting, technology, buildings as three-dimensional textbooks, green construction, and/or community access) experts believe should be included in the design of schools of the future to improve teaching and student achievement; and (2) the importance and likelihood of characteristics' inclusion in the design of future schools. Expert opinion was used to identify factors to inhibit or support inclusion of the characteristics in the design of schools of the future. Methodology: Twenty-four experts participated in a Delphi study to determine characteristics for future school facilities. A four-round online survey narrowed a list of 196 to a list of 72 characteristics, which panelists rated using a ten-point Likert scale, on the importance and likelihood of inclusion in future building projects. Also, this study added to the literature as it relates to the subgroup analysis of the Delphi panel constituted for the study. Findings: Characteristics were categorized into three areas, each corresponding to a distinct phase of the construction process: (1) design and construction of the facility; (2) equipment and furnishings, and (3) the behavior and operations of building inhabitants. This study added new information completely absent from earlier research, including Green Design Principles and Technology. Previous studies reported any form of natural daylight would improve student achievement. Data reported in this study refuted these findings; future design teams will need to be cognizant of the type of natural daylight present in the area surrounding the project. Conclusions: Prioritized lists of characteristics promoting student achievement are valuable tools for researchers, who could identify facilities with large numbers of such characteristics and designate them as national models. Longitudinal data could measure whether facilities are becoming better or worse for supporting learning and compare student achievement across schools with many characteristics versus those with few. Actions of people and institutions outside of the educational system could play important roles in improving future school facilities. State architectural departments could create a fast-track approval process for projects incorporating joint use. Environmental standards could mandate the healthiest indoor environments for students rather than maintaining the status quo.