The impact of the classroom built environment on student perceptions and learning

Abstract

The aim of this 2 × 2 experimental study was to investigate whether the combined environmental factors of light, sound, and temperature in a classroom built environment set to comfortable levels or just outside the comfort zone (OCZ) impacted undergraduate student learning, mood, and perceptions of environmental influence on performance during listening and reading tasks. Results indicated that participants in the OCZ listening condition had lower scores on a comprehension test than those in the normal listening condition, but that no difference was detected between conditions for the reading modality. Students in the OCZ condition reported more negative affect and believed that the sound and temperature of the room had a more negative impact on their performance than those in the normal condition. Participants in the reading conditions were more likely to attribute poor performance to the sound levels in the room than students in the listening condition.