How elements of the built environment impact kids in schools
Considering the needs of children in the school environment, the design of
the space, and thereby, the social environment can influence learning as well as affect the child in terms of sense of comfort, security and well-being.
—Martin, 2016, p. 282
Space & Built Environments
What is the significance of physical and built environments when it comes to education in schools? Where do the elements of flexibility, connection, and ownership come into play? Education researcher Jamieson and colleagues (2000) wrote: “There is much more to space and place than meets the eye” (p. 221). Let’s think about that statement for a moment: What are the elements of space and place that meet the eye? We are constantly surrounded by a range of physical factors that can be objectively quantified: light, sound, colour, and so on.
We can measure these things relatively easily.
Now let’s think about those elements of space and place that we don't see. We don’t see, for instance, the impact that light has on our mood. We don’t see how well we process and comprehend the sounds we hear. And we don’t see whether a certain colour helps us concentrate.
Learning is innately internal, experiential, and synergistic, making it challenging to measure. The same goes for inclusivity, which is as much a feeling of belonging and connectedness then it is an experience of being in the same place as others. Fortunately, there are factors known to influence learning that we CAN measure—and that’s a good place to start.
What does the literature tell us about the impact of the physical and built environment on learning and human experience? The following sections are divided into six primary elements of space as relevant to their impact on people. Each section highlights a selection of important takeaway messages for teachers, with regard to promoting learning and inclusivity in the classroom and school setting.
rooms & buildings
“Rooms should communicate; they should embrace and caress all the senses.
Schools need individualised learning places.” —Dudek, 2015, p. 26
light
"It’s imperative to provide artificial lighting that enhances the classroom experience for children and teachers,
enables strong cognitive function, and supports positive behaviour.”
—Morrow & Kanakri, 2018, p. 2
noise
"A significant negative relationship has been found between noise levels and learning attainment,
cognitive processing, reading, and to a lesser extent, numeracy tasks. Noise has also been found to negatively
affect other performance-related aspects such as attention, concentration, and memory."
—Shield et al., 2010, p. 226
air & temperature
"Currently, it is difficult to estimate the actual size of the effect on learning due to suboptimal thermal
conditions in classrooms because there is no agreed relationship quantifying the effects of the
thermal environment on learning outcomes." —Wargocki et al., 2019, p. 197
furniture
“It’s not just about aesthetics—good furniture has a positive effect on both children’s health
and their classroom development." —FIRA, 2008, p. 2
colour & COMPLEXITY
"Wall color has been studied as one of the most important physical factors affecting students’
stress and concentration that plays an effective role in the student’s performance
in learning environments." —Pourbagher et al., 2021, p. 198
