Differences in teachers’ satisfaction with indoor environmental quality and their well-being in new, renovated and non-renovated schools

Abstract

Most studies on buildings’ renovations in relation to indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and occupants’ well-being have focused on offices, while those investigating schools focused on students rather than teachers. Most of these studies limited their assessment of well-being to occupants’ satisfaction with IEQ factors, overlooking essential aspects related to psychological, social and physical well-being. This article presents results of a research conducted in 32 schools in Manitoba, Canada, to assess teachers’ IEQ satisfaction and well-being in new, renovated and non-renovated schools. The research involved adapting and refining an IEQ satisfaction survey and developing and refining three new surveys to assess teachers’ psychological, social and physical well-being. The results of the refined surveys showed statistically significant differences in teachers’ satisfaction with IEQ factors between the new and renovated schools on one hand and the non-renovated ones on the other. However, no statistically significant differences were found in teachers’ psychological, social and physical well-being perceptions between all pairs of the three school categories analysed. Association analyses suggested a potential indirect impact of schools’ renovations on teachers’ well-being via their satisfaction with IEQ. The results of this study should aid school managers in making strategic decisions about the maintenance of their existing schools.