Jan 22, 2013 09:00:18

Research shows that classroom design influences children's learning rates by 25%

By

chrissuderman

A study by the University of Salford found that classroom environment can have an average impact of 25% on a child's academic progress or decline over the course of a year.

Study proves classroom design really does matter | University of Salford Manchester
http://www.salford.ac.uk/home-page/news/2012/study-proves-classroom-design-really-does-matter

ScienceDirect.com - Building and Environment - A holistic, multi-level analysis identifying the impact of classroom design on pupils' learning

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132312002582

The pilot study was conducted between September 2011 and July 2012 among 751 primary school students in Blackpool, UK, across 34 classes, all of which had different learning environments.

The survey was conducted along two lines. One was to collect data on age, gender, and math, reading, and writing performance of 751 elementary school students at the beginning and end of each school year. The other was to evaluate the overall classroom environment in 34 classrooms, taking into account factors such as orientation, the amount of natural light and noise in the classroom, temperature, and air quality. Other factors included the use of color in the classroom and the degree of spatial flexibility, such as how easily furniture could be organized. The evaluation included both classroom design and usage factors, which determine what constitutes an effective learning environment.

The results showed that 73% of the variation in students' grades was explained by six 'classroom levels': color, freedom, complexity, choice, connectivity, and light.

It is said that depending on the learning environment, students' scores in the three main subjects can improve by as much as 11 points in one year.

Professor Peter Barrett of Salford University said: 'We have long known that various building environments have an impact on the people inside, but this is the first time we have successfully assessed the direct link between the overall environment and student learning rates. The impact is greater than we could have imagined, and we look forward to seeing more clear results in the future.'

The study was commissioned by THiNK, a team at

Nightingale Associates, an academic research and development firm, and the results of this research will be used to inform new building renovations and construction. Caroline Paradise of Nightingale Associates said, 'We're excited by these findings that the classroom environment plays a key role in children's outcomes. This will empower educators and designers to target their most impactful investments in school buildings, whether renovations or new construction.'

By chefranden

Further research will be conducted over the next 18 months at 20 other primary schools in the UK outside of Blackpool.