How Lighting, Flexibility, and Nature-Based Elements Impact Student Learning

Criteria: Depth of study – both the number of school classrooms surveyed and the attenuation to various environmental design factors.

Key Takeaway: This impactful UK study analyzed the classroom environments of 3,766 students, investigating factors such as light, flexibility, nature, complexity, and color, as well as their effect on student learning in reading, writing, and math. Notably, good lighting and flexible classroom spaces emerged as contributors to improved student performance across all subjects, while some elements, like links to nature and ownership, had specific impacts on individual subjects. Through its meticulous breakdown of stimulating, individualized, and natural aspects in classrooms, this study emphasizes the need for thoughtful, adaptable, and nature-inclusive classroom designs that can positively influence our learning environments.

Summation and Insights:  How does classroom environment affect student learning?  This significant study, which examined 153 classrooms with 3,766 pupils in the UK (US age: kindergarten to fifth grade) answered this question through an analysis of multiple factors, including light, links to nature, flexibility, ownership, complexity, and color.  Using a SIN analysis (examination of environmental factors according to Stimulation, Individualization, Naturalness), classroom atmosphere and design were examined in relation to student performance in three subjects: reading, writing, and math.  

Good lighting (SIN factor – Naturalness) and flexibility (SIN factor – Individualization) were found to be statistically significant and salient aspects of student learning across all three subjects.  Good lighting constitutes natural lighting, windows that do not cause glare, and the ability to exert control over lighting via shading devices and technology.  Glare from direct sunlight can be particularly detrimental and is often further exacerbated by classroom features such as whiteboards and projectors.  Flexibility, or how well a classroom is designed to fit the needs of its pupils, was significant for both younger and older students.  Younger students benefited from classrooms that could be easily transformed into different learning areas as well as more intimate spaces.  Older students benefited from classrooms that had the flexibility to accommodate group work as well as whole class learning.  

Though lighting and classroom flexibility were ubiquitously helpful in reading, writing, and math performance, some environmental elements only had outcomes on student progress in specific subjects.  Links-to-Nature (SIN factor – Naturalness), defined as natural elements present in the classroom (i.e., potted plants, animals, etc.), access to outdoor learning zones, and windows with nature views correlated positively with writing, but not with reading or math.  The authors of this study hypothesize that this correlation is related to research suggesting nature is conducive to human creativity and creative tasks such as writing.  Connection (SIN factor – Individualization), here defined as creating library spaces out of school corridors or atriums, had an exclusively positive impact on reading.  Likewise, Ownership (SIN factor – Individualization), or how well a classroom space is utilized by students, correlated strongly with math performance.  Some examples of Ownership include having pupils’ work on the walls, adequate storage or locker space for personal belongings, and furniture that is ergonomically sized for children.  The authors of this study hypothesized that students’ ability to have Ownership over the classroom space may lead to greater confidence and thus higher math performance.  

Finally, two factors in the Stimulation category, Complexity and Color, were found to affect both reading and writing, but not math.  Both complexity and color needed a golden mean so to speak, or a mid level of stimulation in order to produce the state of relaxed alertness necessary to achieve high quality work in reading and writing activities.  The perfectly “complex” room is distinctive enough to be considered unique, with well-maintained displays – too much complexity, however; provides overstimulation and proves distracting for students.  Likewise, moderate color design improved overall mood and well-being.  The optimum designs regarding color were found to have pale or light colored walls, with a color accent wall or panel and brightly colored furniture.  For educators who are particularly interested in this topic, this research article also contains a visual diagram incorporating significant SIN learning elements within classroom design on page 445.

Resource: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0013916516648735

Year: 2017

Author: Barrett P., Zhang Y., & Barrett L.

Primary Author: Peter Barrett, https://www.peterbarrettresearch.co.uk/