Discussion on the subject of how to design an optimal learning environment has always reflected constantly changing educational, social, and technological circumstances, and it continues to do so. Despite being a small field of research, it has attracted attention since its origins in the 19th century (Renz, 2016). However, particularly in the past decade, this state of upheaval in school construction not only intensifies the interest in research but also (re-)vitalize planning processes through participation procedures. Just as users can be involved conceptually at the beginning of a construction project, participation is also possible after a school building has been inhabited. This method of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) was defined by Preiser et al. (1988, p. 3) as ''a process of systematically evaluating the performance of buildings after they have been built and occupied for some time''. It aims to improve the fit between users and their buildings (Zimmerman & Martin, 2001).


The aim of this work was to develop a empirically tested method for evaluating school buildings (with the aim of improving them). Building on existing Post-Occupancy Evaluation methods (e.g. LEaRN; Cleveland et al., 2016), it is carried out using the data-driven index creation MARI method (Fluck & Lichtenberg, 2021). The benefits of such formative models are still largely unknown in the social sciences and therefore underestimated (Fluck & Lichtenberg, 2021; Jarvis, MacKenzie & Podsakoff, 2003). Testing at six schools with a total of more than 700 students (aged 11 to 19) has shown that the questionnaire could be further developed: Among other things, it is still too complex and should therefore be simplified, especially for younger students. Overall, however, this Post-Occupancy Evaluation for Learning Environments (POELE) proves to be a robust testing tool that provides a sound basis for the comprehensive assessment of school buildings.