The Changing Learning Environment – Methodology for Preventing Learning Failures

Learning can be an exhilarating adventure – when the environment is thoughtfully designed to support it.

The dynamic interplay between a child’s abilities and their surroundings shapes whether learning unfolds as a joyful path of discovery or a frustrating struggle.

This publication is for educators who aspire to create inclusive, responsive learning environments where every child can experience success and thrive.

A truly effective learning space rests on three transformative pillars: skill development, spatial organization, and instructional design. Each element is flexible, interwoven, and open to creative reinvention.

Inside, you’ll find a hands-on methodological toolkit that empowers teachers to adapt their classrooms to the evolving needs of their students.

We don’t offer one-size-fits-all solutions – we offer keys to growth: for learners, for educators, and for the broader educational system.

On October 15, at the Early Childhood Education Conference in Vác, we will showcase our research-based methodological publication within a dedicated session designed to highlight our practical innovations.

Session title: Methods for Transforming the Learning Environment of Children Starting School
Session chair: Éva Gyarmathy
Session format: Presentations and practical demonstrations

Presenters and topics:

• Éva Gyarmathy – Learning organization
• Kata Kádek – Spatial arrangement
• Anna Négyesi – Movement breaks
• Bernadett Dézsi – Rhymes and chants
• Bernadett Mizsei – Letters
• Judit Pap – Learning cards

Description:
In this session, we will present the methodologies and practical insights developed over four years by the MTA-AVKF Learning Environment Research Group. Our work focuses on transforming the learning environment for first and second grade students through the integration of evidence-based developmental approaches and classroom structures that actively support differentiated, learner-centred teaching.

Our symposium proposal submitted for ONK2025 in Szeged has received positive reviews, so we will have the opportunity to present the diverse results of our research on November 13.

Program of our symposium:

Possibilities and Obstacles in Transforming the Learning Environment in First and Second Grade (Chair: Éva Gyarmathy, Opponent: Nóra Rapos)

• Éva Gyarmathy, Judit Pap, Mónika Turmezei: The Lack of Structured Learning Environments in Lower Primary Education
• Bernadett Svraka, Éva Gyarmathy: Connections Between Learning Performance and Cognitive Abilities in Differently Designed Learning Environments in Lower Primary Classes
• Judit Gombás: Teachers (Un)Receptive to Innovation
• Györgyi Elekes, Bernadett Svraka, Judit Gombás: The Relationship Between Burnout and Mental Well-being Among Hungarian Teachers

Research findings from the MTA-AVKF research group indicate that developmental games and exercises are not being organically integrated into school learning processes. To move forward, we are enhancing the system of methodological materials by combining them with digital technologies – https://www.cogniplay.com.

CogniPlay, previously introduced here, is a next-generation STEAM model targeting children aged 4–10, where play is the core space for learning – not a supplementary element. It uses carefully designed physical and digital games in a structured way, following a learning arc: Assessment → Play (Understanding and Generalization) → Practice and Measurement → Development. The model aligns with current school structures. Its components – games, task banks, and methodological guides – can be used independently or as a coherent system, allowing gradual implementation (module → topic/unit → grade → school).

The ecosystem is built around interconnected domains: PlayMath (current focus), PlayWord, PlayAbility, PlayAgility, PlayScience, PlayArt, PlayCraft, and PlaySocial. The games intentionally link these domains to build and transfer concepts through action, movement, and social interaction. CogniPlay assesses and, if needed, develops foundational learning skills both before and during the learning process, with teacher oversight and control. Data collected by the system will be made available anonymously to students, parents, educators, and researchers. To ensure quality and sustainable scalability, CogniPlay is seeking institutional partners – primarily teacher training organizations – to establish and operate Regional Methodological Centres.

We have submitted a manuscript to the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education titled “Promoting Teacher Adoption of a Digital Tool for Early Mathematics, Language, Technology Learning Assessment: Insights from the Sensory Motor and Cognitive Profile Test”. The manuscript ID is UJDL-2025-0112.

The article explores how the advancement of technology has increased teachers’ access to digital tools for education, yet their adoption remains low due to a mismatch between tool design and teachers’ practical needs. Using the SCPT (Sensory Motor and Cognitive Profile Test) as a case study, our research investigates how digital tool uptake can be supported in early education. Findings highlight the need for comprehensive professional support, culturally relevant technological solutions, and clear pedagogical rationale. The study contributes to the development of human-centred, sustainable educational technologies.

The collection of methodological materials used in our research is now print-ready. It will be published at the end of September as a joint release by Móra Publishing and Apor Vilmos Catholic College. The volume will be presented at the Early Childhood Education Conference in Vác this October.

The international online research journal Educatio, focused on Christian education, in collaboration with the research sector of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), has issued a call for contributions under the theme: “Is Education an Act of Hope? Catholic Education Stakeholders and the Global Compact on Education.”

“In a world shaken by multiple crises – social, environmental, economic, and spiritual – can education still offer hope? With Pope Francis’s Global Compact on Education as its backdrop, the 16th issue of Educatio invites scholars to explore how Catholic educational institutions at the primary, secondary, and higher education levels are responding to this call.”

We responded to this call and were given the opportunity to publish our research.

One digital solution for methodological development is the use of flashcards in board games in class. We have further developed a tried and tested method and started testing the cards on a wider scale.

You can sign up to try the method with Dr. Bertalan Forstner at: Forstner.Bertalan@aut.bme.hu

We will be ending our participation in the MTA Public Education Research Programme in August this year. However, our research will continue. We have invited teachers who participated in the programme to continue following their students. Children starting Year 4 in autumn can now be tested in groups using the online Sensorimotor and Cognitive Profile Test. This will make the process much easier for their teachers.

The problem is that there have been several changes of teachers, meaning that in many places, the classes included in the research are no longer led by the original teacher. Nevertheless, we hope that we will still manage to follow a sufficient number of children. From next year onwards, this will become more difficult as the classes will change significantly as the children move into the upper grades. Children may change schools, for example to eight-year-secondary schools. It is therefore important that we obtain data in the follow-up now, to ensure we have information on these children from the time they start school until the end of lower secondary school.

This year, our research group was represented by Imre Kökényesi, Bernadett Micskei and Mór Antal Szűcs at the workshop of the MTA Public Education Development Research Programme in Mátrafüred.

Imre Kökényesi gave a presentation on “Transforming the learning environment – Are we playing or learning?” on Saturday morning.