Background:
The importance of researching the opinions of students and teachers has been pointed out concerning the improvement of teaching and learning in laboratory environments. In this regard, a study of the laboratory environment was carried out from a diversity of perspectives and methodologies.

Material and methods:
By means of a questionnaire it was learned that the perception of the actual laboratory environment was clearly positive, with clear similarities but also some differences among participants.

Results:
While the retrospective narrative has helped explain some of these differences, such as a less positive assessment by the teacher of the material environment as regards the large number of students for the limited laboratory space, the students’ assessment is highly homogeneous and does not appear to be influenced by these conditions.

Conclusions:
The use of a fast and simple quantitative tool has provided the participants’ general outlook, complemented by the qualitative depth of the retrospective account provided by the teacher.