A Synthesis of the Evidence: How School Design Affects Learning

Criteria: Principal authors’ acknowledged expertise and the contributions of World Bank researchers, well-cited by other scholars, strong integration of prior research, clarity of writing. Creative Commons License 3.0 offers accessibility and flexibility in use.

Key Takeaway: This comprehensive study consolidates research on school infrastructure and environment, providing educators with a rich overview of how design elements can significantly influence students’ learning. Key findings highlight that optimal learning is associated with good natural conditions (like lighting, air quality, and temperature control), flexible and age-appropriate learning spaces, navigable connections between spaces, the use of color and visual complexity, and designs that take into consideration local climate and culture.

Summary and Insights: The authors sought and succeeded in synthesizing the impact on school-age children of a wide range of studies related to school infrastructure design components and environmental characteristics. In clear, complete, and concise language the research evidence on safe and healthy school buildings (Chapter 3), baseline conditions for learning (Chapter 4), and links between school design and pedagogy and community (Chapter 5) is presented. The figures and tables provide strong summaries of key research and findings.

Key quotes from the Executive Summary follow:

” The review team found that the following all positively contribute to pupils’ progress in learning:

• Good “natural” conditions such as lighting, air quality, temperature control, acoustics, and links to nature 
• Age-appropriate learning spaces that offer flexible learning opportunities that pupils can adapt and personalize 
• Connections between learning spaces that are easy to navigate and that may provide additional learning opportunities
• A level of ambient stimulation using color and visual complexity 
• Schools that are designed from the inside out (classroom to school) so that each space meets the needs of its inhabitants
• Designs that take into account local climatic and cultural conditions.”

” … this report emphasizes that the physical layout of schools can reflect the dynamic of pedagogical practice, either by creating new schools or by adapting existing schools to make them more spatially flexible so that over the long term they can support rather than impede the desired developments in pedagogical practice.”

Resource: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/30920/9781464813788.pdf
Authors: Barrett, Peter; Treves, Alberto; Shmis, Tigran; Ambasz, Diego; Ustinova, Maria. 2019.