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School built environment and children's health: a scientometric analysis
Reviews on Environmental Health
Abstract
The school built environment is closely related to children’s health, and research on this topic is increasing. However, bibliometric analyses seeking to provide a comprehensive understanding of the research landscape and key themes in the field are lacking. This study comprehensively explored the global trends and research hotspots on the associations between school built environment and children’s health. We used a scientometric analysis to review the research progress. The temporal distribution of publications, scientific collaborations, research hotspots, research frontiers, and co-citations over the past 30 years were analyzed. The results show that the number of publications in this field rose significantly between 1987 and 2025, with research hotspots focusing on physical activity, performance, behavior, perception, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality. Environmental themes related to children’s health fall into four main groups: the built environment related to children’s activities, intelligent learning environments, indoor environments and interiors, and natural environments. Health outcomes and measures that reflect physiological, psychological, cognitive, behavioral, and physical factors are discussed. This study provides a broad understanding of research issues and trends related to the school built environment and children’s health.
... Many challenges exist that limit the success of school-based programs that aim to increase physical activity among students. The implementation of physical education in Saudi Arabian schools faces obstacles from conservative opponents and optional enrollment which reduces its effectiveness [50,51]. Studies show the school environment maintains substantial impact on child health because elements like building designs and green spaces impact physical activity rates [50,52]. ...
... The implementation of physical education in Saudi Arabian schools faces obstacles from conservative opponents and optional enrollment which reduces its effectiveness [50,51]. Studies show the school environment maintains substantial impact on child health because elements like building designs and green spaces impact physical activity rates [50,52]. The lack of suitable facilities as well as unsafe outdoor areas during extreme weather conditions, makes it difficult for people to participate in physical activity [52]. ...
The study investigates the BMI-PA relation through sedentary behavior assessment among 1,500 students distributed across public (970) and private (530) school populations. The study results showed that students in public schools averaged more sedentary behavior (p = 0.027, ES = 0.113) and fewer physical activities (p < 0.001, ES = 0.268) than their peers in private schools. Students enrolled in private educational institutions experienced more cases of overweight and obesity than public school students (p = 0.041, ES = 0.11). In public schools, BMI decreased by -0.088 units per increase in physical activity (p < 0.001), yet age (p < 0.001), video gaming (p < 0.001), and laptop use (p = 0.064) as specific sedentary behaviors both showed BMI elevation. The combination of physical activity and BMI had a positive relationship in private schools (B = 0.029, p = 0.023), and laptop use (B = -0.112 to -0.125, p < 0.001); together with video gaming (B = -0.105 to -0.142, p < 0.001), it produced critical results for BMI. The characteristics of age (B = -0.008, p = 0.543) and physical activity levels (B = 0.004, p = 0.812) demonstrated no meaningful relationships with BMI measurements in private school settings.
Purpose of Review
Explore the varied pathways between the built environment and children’s health. The review begins by describing how the built environment and transport infrastructure relate to conditions that lead to health outcomes. The review examines emissions, noise, and traffic dangers in relation to children’s physical, mental, and social health.
Recent Findings
Evidence is increasing for walkable neighborhoods and health-related behavior such as physical activity. However, diverse land uses (often supporting walkability) were also found to increase traffic injuries. Cognitive impacts of motorways on children at schools were found. Finally, the relationships between social activities and built environment are beginning.
Summary
The built environment’s influence on various physical health outcomes is increasingly clear and is often through a transport pathway. However, the links with mental and social health are less developed, though recent findings show significant results. Having accessible child-relevant destinations is an important consideration for children’s health.
The positive impact of short-term exposure to nature during a green recess in a school day is documented in the literature. In this study we investigated cognitive, academic, and affective effects of a single contact with nature during a regular school lesson in the greenness, compared to an usual classroom lesson, on young students in second and third grades (N = 65). In a within-subjects design, for the cognitive effects we examined children’s (a) selective and sustained attention and (b) math calculation performance in common school tasks. For affective effects we considered (c) their positive and negative mood and (d) the perception of environmental restorativeness. Findings revealed that after a single lesson taught in the green school garden, children had greater selective attention and math calculation performance in two tasks than after a similar lesson in the classroom environment. Moreover, children with higher self-reported emotional difficulties showed greater selective attention and reported a statistically significant increase in positive affect and a tendency to a significant decrease in negative affect after the lesson in the greenness than in the classroom. Students also perceived the green space as more restorative than the classroom environment. Results are discussed against theories on the benefits of exposure to natural environments, highlighting the theoretical and practical significance of the study.
Several research studies have ranked indoor pollution among the top environmental risks to public health in recent years. Good indoor air quality is an essential component of a healthy indoor environment and significantly affects human health and well-being. Poor air quality in such environments may cause respiratory disease for millions of pupils around the globe and, in the current pandemic-dominated era, require ever more urgent actions to tackle the burden of its impacts.
The poor indoor quality in such environments could result from poor management, operation, maintenance, and cleaning. Pupils are a different segment of the population from adults in many ways, and they are more exposed to the poor indoor environment: They breathe in more air per unit weight and are more sensitive to heat/cold and moisture. Thus, their vulnerability is higher than adults, and poor conditions may affect proper development.
However, a healthy learning environment can reduce the absence rate, improves test scores, and enhances pupil/teacher learning/teaching productivity. In this article, we analyzed recent literature on indoor air quality and health in schools, with the primary focus on ventilation, thermal comfort, productivity, and exposure risk. This study conducts a comprehensive review to summarizes the existing knowledge to highlight the latest research and solutions and proposes a roadmap for the future school environment. In conclusion, we summarize the critical limitations of the existing studies, reveal insights for future research directions, and propose a roadmap for further improvements in school air quality. More parameters and specific data should be obtained from in-site measurements to get a more in-depth understanding at contaminant characteristics. Meanwhile, site-specific strategies for different school locations, such as proximity to transportation routes and industrial areas, should be developed to suit the characteristics of schools in different regions. The socio-economic consequences of health and performance effects on children in classrooms should be considered. There is a great need for more comprehensive studies with larger sample sizes to study on environmental health exposure, student performance, and indoor satisfaction. More complex mitigation measures should be evaluated by considering energy efficiency, IAQ and health effects.
Purpose
Physical activity (PA) is an important factor contributing to general health. PA declines rapidly during tween years (9–12 years) when children’s social world changes. School playgrounds can contribute substantially to children’s PA, but little is known about how to motivate tweens to use school playgrounds. Using the three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) proposed by the Self-Determination Theory, this qualitative study aimed to investigate how school playgrounds can support tweens’ needs.
Methods
Tweens (n = 56) participated in focus group go-along interviews in their school playground.
Results
We found that tweens needed a variety of play possibilities (autonomy) that challenged their skills (competence) as well as areas to retract and be with friends (relatedness).
Conclusion
This research highlights the importance of incorporating tweens’ perspectives in playground design to attract and retain them in play and PA in school playgrounds.
Many schools in Sweden lack a proper indoor environment due to, e.g., poor thermal-envelope properties, overcrowded classes, poor visual appearance and insufficient ventilation. This study aims to explore the integration of a large number of indoor green plants into classrooms’ environments. This case study consists of three parts: measurements of the indoor environment including a final energy model, a questionnaire to the pupils with questions about their well-being and qualitative interviews with teachers. The case was two classrooms in a secondary education facility in central Sweden with an average annual temperature of 3 °C and a long and dark winter period with snow. The results showed 10% lower CO2 and slightly higher and more stable temperatures due to the green plants. Worries about climate change and war among the pupils decreased after several months with the plants and worry about infectious disease increased. The teachers experienced fresher air from the plants and used the plant stands for a flexible classroom design. The conclusion is that indoor plants have the potential to contribute to a better indoor environment, but due to the high number of uncontrolled variables (including the effect of COVID-19) in measurements of real-life conditions, more studies are needed.
The progress of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) research in school buildings has increased profusely in the last two decades and the interest in this area is still growing worldwide. IEQ in classrooms impacts the comfort, health, and productivity of students as well as teachers. This article systematically discusses IEQ parameters related to studies conducted in Indian school classrooms during the last fifteen years. Real-time research studies conducted on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Thermal Comfort (TC), Acoustic Comfort (AcC), and Visual Comfort (VC) in Indian school classrooms from July 2006 to March 2021 are considered to gain insight into the existing research methodologies. This review article indicates that IEQ parameter studies in Indian school buildings are tortuous, strewn, inadequate, and unorganized. There is no literature review available on studies conducted on IEQ parameters in Indian school classrooms. The results infer that in India, there is no well-established method to assess the indoor environmental condition of classrooms in school buildings to date. Indian school classrooms are bleak and in dire need of energy-efficient modifications that maintain good IEQ for better teaching and learning outcomes. The prevailing COVID-19 Pandemic, Artificial Intelligence (AI), National Education Policy (NEP), Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), Internet of Things (IoT), and Green Schools (GS) are also discussed to effectively link existing conditions with the future of IEQ research in Indian school classrooms.
There is growing interest recently in the outdoor environment surrounding schools where students spent time during breaks, in-school activities, and after-school programs. Several reviews have examined the impact of long-term exposures to nearby nature on students’ academic achievement, but none has focused on the effects of short-term contacts with nature on students’ cognitive performance. The aim of this review is to understand the context in which short-term passive exposures to greenness occur, how cognitive performance is measured, and the conditions under which cognitive benefits emerge at various educational levels. We reviewed 14 studies in the extant literature that report investigations involving students at different educational levels, from elementary school to university, in a short exposure to nature lasting from 10 to 90 min during a study day. The review shows that in 12 out of the 14 studies, across educational levels, cognitive benefits emerge in terms of directed attention restoration from mental fatigue due to contact with nature. A no-cost opportunity to sustain students’ cognition is a break in a green environment after mentally demanding activities.
Background
The objective of this study was to describe, through measurement of physical activity and observation of free outdoor play, the relation between children’s free play and the spatial layout of the playground. To accomplish this, we altered the spatial layout of the same playground to see how the layout affects the play activity and the physical activity levels in the same children.
Methods
Participants were six young children (four girls and two boys; mean age = 5 years and 1 month, SD = 2.59 months). Participants’ physical activity level and the duration of different types of action that occurred in each area and their transitions were compared before and after the alteration of the play-equipment layout using the data from accelerometers and video recordings.
Results
A significant increase in physical activity occurred after the spatial layout alteration, which was related to action differences. Before the alteration, children tended to play in a similar manner for a given play area; however, after the alteration, pronounced interindividual variation in play activity across children was observed.
Conclusion
The present pilot study found that in free play situations in the outdoor playground, the spatial layout of playground affects the pattern of play activity and the physical activity levels of young children.
There is increasing evidence for the restorative and stress-reducing benefits of natural window views and indoor vegetation. However, few studies have investigated associations between the naturalness of window and interior classroom views and students’ well-being and performance in primary schools. The present cross-sectional study investigated associations between the naturalness of window and interior classroom views and primary students’ subjective well-being and actual performance in a standardized attention and concentration test. Well-being was assessed with a written survey, covering students’ satisfaction and comfort in school, ability to concentrate and learn in class, satisfaction with achievements, perceived stress, and social belonging. Attention and concentration were measured with the d2-revision test. Social density, wall color, and degree of classroom decoration were controlled for. Students (n = 785; 8–11 years old; all 4th graders) reported less stress and were more focused on a task in classrooms with more natural window views, i.e., in rooms where more natural elements could be seen outside. Natural interior views, and thus the number of plants in a classroom, were not significantly associated with the tested variables. Children’s nature connectedness (measured as their time spent in nature and on plant care) was positively associated with feelings of comfort and learning satisfaction in school. Time spent in nature was also associated with less perceived stress and fatigue, and with more attentive behavior during lessons. Performance in the d2-revision test was not associated with the naturalness of classroom views, but was lower for children who perceived stress in school.
Studies developed in a scholar context report a restorative effect of nature on human beings, specifically in terms of the psychological recovery from attention fatigue and restored mental resources that were previously spent in activities that require attention. Studies usually compare the performance of children in schools with or without access to green spaces. In this study, the effect of introducing greenery into the classroom context was compared across time. The experiment was developed in two primary schools with pupils in different socioeconomic contexts, at three moments: before introducing an artificial green wall into the classroom, one month later, and one month after the introduction of vegetable pots. Results showed a significant increase in sustained and selective attention, and work memory between the experimental and the control group, notably in the third moment when vegetable pots were introduced. In the second moment (green walls), only the work memory (tested with the inversed number) showed a significant effect. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in terms of nature’s role both in terms of natural and artificial elements and the cumulative effect of direct interaction with natural elements.
Background
Latinx children in the United States are at high risk for nature-deficit disorder, heat-related illness, and physical inactivity. We developed the Green Schoolyards Project to investigate how green features—trees, gardens, and nature trails—in school parks impact heat index (i.e., air temperature and relative humidity) within parks, and physical activity levels and socioemotional well-being of these children. Herein, we present novel methods for a) observing children’s interaction with green features and b) measuring heat index and children’s behaviors in a natural setting, and a selection of baseline results.
Methods
During two September weeks (high temperature) and one November week (moderate temperature) in 2019, we examined three joint-use elementary school parks in Central Texas, United States, serving predominantly low-income Latinx families. To develop thermal profiles for each park, we installed 10 air temperature/relative humidity sensors per park, selecting sites based on land cover, land use, and even spatial coverage. We measured green features within a geographic information system. In a cross-sectional study, we used an adapted version of System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess children’s physical activity levels and interactions with green features. In a cohort study, we equipped 30 3rd and 30 4th grade students per school during recess with accelerometers and Global Positioning System devices, and surveyed these students regarding their connection to nature. Baseline analyses included inverse distance weighting for thermal profiles and summing observed counts of children interacting with trees.
Results
In September 2019, average daily heat index ranged 2.0 °F among park sites, and maximum daily heat index ranged from 103.4 °F (air temperature = 33.8 °C; relative humidity = 55.2%) under tree canopy to 114.1 °F (air temperature = 37.9 °C; relative humidity = 45.2%) on an unshaded playground. 10.8% more girls and 25.4% more boys interacted with trees in September than in November.
Conclusions
We found extreme heat conditions at select sites within parks, and children positioning themselves under trees during periods of high heat index. These methods can be used by public health researchers and practitioners to inform the redesign of greenspaces in the face of climate change and health inequities.
Cognitive load theory was introduced in the 1980s as an instructional design theory based on several uncontroversial aspects of human cognitive architecture. Our knowledge of many of the characteristics of working memory, long-term memory and the relations between them had been well-established for many decades prior to the introduction of the theory. Curiously, this knowledge had had a limited impact on the field of instructional design with most instructional design recommendations proceeding as though working memory and long-term memory did not exist. In contrast, cognitive load theory emphasised that all novel information first is processed by a capacity and duration limited working memory and then stored in an unlimited long-term memory for later use. Once information is stored in long-term memory, the capacity and duration limits of working memory disappear transforming our ability to function. By the late 1990s, sufficient data had been collected using the theory to warrant an extended analysis resulting in the publication of Sweller et al. (Educational Psychology Review, 10, 251–296, 1998). Extensive further theoretical and empirical work have been carried out since that time and this paper is an attempt to summarise the last 20 years of cognitive load theory and to sketch directions for future research.
This systematic review summarised and evaluated the evidence for associations between green space and adolescents' mental well-being. The PRISMA statement guidelines were followed for reporting systematic reviews. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Synthesis suggests beneficial associations between green space exposure and reduced stress, positive mood, less depressive symptoms, better emotional well-being, improved mental health and behaviour, and decreased psychological distress in adolescents. Several studies found the relationship varied by demographic and socio-economic factors. The limited number of studies and the risk of bias were the main limitations, together with heterogeneity regarding green space and mental well-being assessments. Overall, this review highlights the potential contribution of green space in schoolyards. Improving the availability, accessibility and quality of green space is likely to generate positive impacts on adolescents' mental well-being. More consistent evidence on the use of different types of green space and perceptions of features are needed in the future.
Background:
To date, there is scant literature that examines the recess context concurrent with, but separate from, levels of physical activity. The primary purpose of the current study was to examine how recess quality impacted physical activity levels, and how this was moderated by gender. A secondary purpose was to examine if differences in children's engagement in activities occurred between recess sessions scored as low- or high- quality.
Methods:
This was an observational study of children at 13 urban elementary schools in the U.S. Across the 13 schools, data were collected at 55 recess sessions, with 3419 child-level observations (n = 1696 boys; n = 1723 girls). Physical activity data were collected using Fitbit accelerometers, recess quality data were collected using the Great Recess Framework - Observational Tool (GRF-OT), recess engagement data were collected using the Observation of Playground Play (OPP), and basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) data were collected using a modified version of the BPNS for recess physical activity survey. Primary analyses were conducted using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) with children nested within recess sessions.
Results:
Gender moderated the relationship between adult engagement and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (b = .012; 95% CI .001, .024), student behavior and MVPA (b = -.014; 95% CI -.021, -.007), and student behaviors and light physical activity (b = .009, 95% CI .003, .015). Both boys and girls engaged in more play during recess sessions scored as high quality on the GRF-OT. Children reported higher levels of basic psychological need satisfaction at recesses sessions scored as high quality on the GRF-OT.
Conclusions:
Results of the current study showed that the quality of the recess environment, and the interactions of both adults and students in that environment, need to be taken into consideration in future school-based recess studies.
In recent years, articles have been published on the non-visual effects of light, specifically
the light emitted by the new luminaires with light emitting diodes (LEDs) and by the screens of televisions, computer equipment, and mobile phones. Professionals from the world of optometry have raised the possibility that the blue part of the visible light from sources that emit artificial light could have pernicious effects on the retina. The aim of this work is to analyze the articles published on this subject, and to use existing information to elucidate the spectral composition and irradiance of new LED luminaires for use in the home and in public spaces such as educational centers, as well as considering the consequences of the light emitted by laptops for teenagers. The results of this research show that the amount of blue light emitted by electronic equipment is lower than that emitted by modern luminaires and thousands of times less than solar irradiance. On the other hand, the latest research warns that these small amounts of light received at night can have pernicious non-visual effects on adolescents. The creation of new LED luminaires for interior lighting, including in educational centers, where the intensity of blue light can be increased without any specific legislation for its control, makes regulatory developments imperative due to the possible repercussions on adolescents with unknown and unpredictable consequences.
This systematic review focused on the effect of the educational environment design on students’ and teachers’ performance, satisfaction, and wellbeing. Starting from a bulk of 1307 articles, a set of N = 68 empirical papers was selected and organized on the basis of four different content clusters, i.e., architectural building design and aesthetic features, indoor environmental features, classroom design, and school green spaces/outdoor spaces. From the analysis of research findings, the key role of pleasant, warm, and flexible learning environments emerged, for promoting both wellbeing and performance of users. More specifically, the presence of charming colors and pictures, ergonomic furniture, and adequate acoustic, thermal comfort, ventilation, and natural lighting have emerged as important features that school designers should care for. Furthermore, an integration of both indoor and outdoor learning situations showed to be effective for improving students’ learning and wellbeing.
Optimization of environmental performance is one of the standards to be achieved towards designing sustainable buildings. Many researchers are focusing on zero emission building; however, it is essential that the indoor environment favors the performance of the building purpose. Empirical research has demonstrated the influence of architectural space variables on student performance, but they have not focused on holistic studies that compare how space influences different academic performance, such as Mathematics and Arts. This manuscript explores, under self-reported data, the relationship between learning space and the mathematics and art performance in 583 primary school students in Galicia (Spain). For this, the Indoor Physical Environment Perception scale has been adapted and validated and conducted in 27 classrooms. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis have evidenced that the learning space is structured in three categories: Workspace comfort, natural environment and building comfort. Multiple linear regression analyses have supported previous research and bring new findings concerning that the indoor environment variables do not influence in the same way different activities of school architecture.
Prior work has shown beneficial effects of indoor nature (e.g. potted plants, green walls) on attention, health, and well-being for various groups, including students. The aim of this paper was to examine whether these effects also emerge when students attend a single lecture in a classroom with indoor nature. Three longitudinal field experiments, conducted at a university (N = 70), secondary school (N = 213), and a secondary vocational school (N = 161), examined students’ attention, well-being, health complaints, lecture evaluation, and perceived environmental quality with attentional tests and questionnaires. Perceived environmental quality of classrooms with (rather than without) indoor nature was consistently rated more favourably. Secondary education students also reported greater attention, lecture evaluation, and teacher evaluation after one lecture in classrooms with indoor nature compared to the classroom without. There were no straightforward intervention effects on well-being and health complaints. Although this research provides some support for indoor nature in classrooms, attending only one lecture in a classroom with indoor nature does not seem to provide immediate effects on health and well-being.
Several studies have shown so far that poor acoustics inside classrooms negatively affects the teaching and learning processes, especially at the lowest grades of education. However, the extent to which noise exposure or excessive reverberation affect well-being of children at school in their early childhood is still unanswered, as well as their awareness of noise disturbance. This work is a pilot study to investigate to which extent classroom acoustics affects the perceived well-being and noise disturbance in first graders. About 330 pupils aged from 6 to 7 years participated in the study. They belonged to 20 classes of 10 primary schools located in Torino (Italy), where room acoustic measurements were performed and where noise level was monitored during classes. The school buildings and the classrooms were balanced between socioeconomic status and acoustic conditions. Trained experimenters administered questionnaires in each class, where pupils answered all together during the last month of the school year (May). Questions included the happiness scale, subscales assessing self-esteem, emotional health, relationship at home and with friends, enjoyment of school, intensity and noise disturbance due to different sound sources, and quality of voice. The findings of the study suggest that long reverberation times, which are associated with poor classroom acoustics as they generate higher noise levels and degraded speech intelligibility, bring pupils to a reduced perception of having fun and being happy with themselves. Furthermore, bad classroom acoustics is also related to an increased perception of noise intensity and disturbance, particularly in the case of traffic noise and noise from adjacent school environments. Finally, happy pupils reported a higher perception of noise disturbance under bad classroom acoustic conditions, whereas unhappy pupils only reported complaints in bad classroom acoustics with respect to the perception of pleasances with himself or herself and of fitting in at school. Being a mother tongue speaker is a characteristic of children that brings more chances of attending classes in good acoustics, of being less disturbed, and of having more well-being, and richer districts presented better acoustic conditions, in turn resulting in richer districts also revealing a greater perception of well-being.
The purpose of design standards and guidelines is to ensure occupant safety and aid in occupant well-being and satisfaction. Educational buildings such as schools should extend this aim, by also promoting student learning, something that has triggered literature in the past suggesting significant correlation between learning performance and the indoor environment. EN 17037 “Daylight for Buildings” is a recently approved European standard that seeks to assess and ensure successful daylit spaces, including sections on protection against glare, exposure to sunlight, and view out. EN 17037 includes three ways of assessing view out in buildings including, Horizontal sight angle, Outside distance of the view, and Number of view layers outside of windows, a combination that potentially makes it an efficient way to describe such a complex concept. This paper will use a large data set of 220 K-12 classrooms in the Midwest region of the United States in order to evaluate whether any of these three levels of assessing view, or combinations of them can show potential effects on student achievement. The Number of view layers showed a significant positive effect on reading achievement. However, none of the metrics were found to be significant with respect to math achievement. These results aim to identify the next steps of a future controlled study towards a better quantifiable understanding of outside view perception, while also triggering a conversation about the main factors connected to outside view that should be considered towards an indoor environment that promotes learning and productivity.
The human biological clock, also known as circadian rhythm, is mainly synchronized by the light perceived, specifically short-wavelength. Insufficient access to daylight or equivalent electric lighting can compromise human health and well-being. The effect of light on the circadian rhythm is greater in children and adolescents than in adults, making lighting design for classrooms important for good circadian entrainment for students. This research shows the results of circadian stimulus autonomy, that is to say, the percentage of days during the year when circadian stimulus is above a minimum threshold in typical classroom designs. Circadian stimulus, promoted by either natural or electric lighting, is quantified. The venue studied has a window of variable size, position and orientation, as well as different reflectance values of the inner surfaces for a classroom under three typical sky conditions. As deduced from the results, the reflectance of the environment has a noticeable effect on circadian entrainment, as well as on the spectral distribution of the light source. The results also serve to compare the impact of architectural design parameters on promoting good circadian rhythm for students.
In recent years, many researchers have addressed the issue of interior climate and how it affects human health. Investigations performed at schools and office buildings have found that CO 2 concentrations often exceed the limit value of 1500 ppm given in Decree No. 20/2012 Coll., on technical requirements for buildings. In addition, interior space often exhibits very low relative humidity. This results in poor conditions that are detrimental to human health and not conducive to studying and work. One means of improving the interior microclimate is implementing green walls. These walls can help generate a much better climate and greatly enhance the mental well-being of the inhabitants. In addition, they greatly improve dust levels and acoustics in the room. The research compared the interior conditions in two classrooms at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology. One had a green wall installed while the other was in its original configuration. CO 2 concentration, temperature, and relative humidity were measured. A survey was conducted to assess the influence of the green wall on students and teachers (mental well-being, efficiency, productivity, creativity, etc.). Results obtained thus far show that the room with the green wall provides far better interior conditions, mainly in terms of lower CO 2 concentration and higher relative humidity, improving students’ and teachers’ mood and health (as confirmed by the survey as well).
Play in an outdoor environment may improve children’s health. Little is known about how characteristics of the outdoor environment in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings influence children’s health. This study explored the relationship between the outdoor environment and children’s health by examining children’s well-being and physical activity in different outdoor environments. The sample consisted of 471 video observations of 80 children’s free play in the outdoor environments of eight ECEC institutions. Multilevel analysis indicated that playing is associated with health outcomes and that nature is positively associated with children’s well-being. Children’s physical activity was found to be positively associated with the use of pathways and open areas. The use of fixed functional equipment, wheeled toys and loose parts emerged as negative predictors of physical activity. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of how the outdoor environment in ECEC settings can influence children’s health.
Numerous studies in applied pedagogical design have shown that, at all educational levels, direct exposure to the natural environment can enhance learning by improving student attention and behaviors. Implementing green walls—a “vertical garden,” or “living wall” interior wall that typically includes greenery, a growing medium (soil or substrate) and a water delivery system—provides environmental health benefits, but also provides a practical application within classrooms for minimizing directed attention fatigue in students by connecting them to “outdoor nature” within the indoor environment. Hands-on “project-based” learning is another pedagogical strategy that has proved to be effective across the spectrum of educational levels and across subject areas. Green walls have the potential to inspire critical thinking through a combination of project-based learning strategies and environmental education. The authors have outlined a curriculum involving the implementation of an indoor living wall system within a classroom-learning environment, incorporating project-based learning modules that interact with the wall. In conjunction with the passive health benefits of a green wall, project-based curriculum models can connect students interactively with indoor nature and have the potential to inspire real-world thinking related to science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics fields within the indoor learning environment. Through a combination of these passive and interactive modes, students are connected to nature in the indoor environment regardless of weather conditions outdoors. Future research direction could include post-construction studies of the effectiveness of project-based curricula related to living walls, and the long-term impacts of implementing green walls in classrooms on school achievement and student behaviors.
Exposures to outdoor environments have great potential to be protective factors for the mental health of young people. In a national analysis of Canadian adolescents, we explored how such exposures, as well as self-perceptions of connectedness with nature, each related to the prevalence of recurrent psychosomatic symptoms. The data source for this cross-sectional study, consisting of a weighted sample of 29,784 students aged 11-15 years from 377 schools, was the 2013/2014 cycle of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. We modeled reports of exposure to the outdoors and then perceived connection(s) to nature as correlates of reduced psychosomatic symptoms. Associations varied by sex. Among girls, spending on average >0.5 h/week outdoors was associated with a 24% (95% CI: 5%, 40%) lower prevalence of high psychosomatic symptoms, compared to those who averaged no time playing outdoors. No such relationship was observed among boys. Perception of connection to nature as 'important' was similarly associated with a 25% (95% CI: 9%, 38%) reduction in the prevalence of high psychosomatic symptoms; this association did not differ by sex or age. Our analysis highlights the potential importance of adolescent engagement with nature as protective for their psychological well-being. It also emphasizes the importance of accounting for differences between boys and girls when researching, planning, and implementing public mental health initiatives that consider exposure to the outdoors.
An investigation examined the structured scientific evidence on healthcare facilities (the healing built environment – HBE) and its impact on patients’ health outcomes under a holistic conceptual evaluative framework. The integrative review considered 127 papers (of which 59 were review papers). It found there was no adequate framework that could integrate existing research findings holistically. Such a holistic framework needs to demonstrate the cumulative and interactive effects of various HBE characteristics on patients’ health outcomes and wellbeing. An environment–occupant–health (E-O-H) framework is proposed, taking a holistic perspective to identify and evaluate different HBE characteristics. The E-O-H framework should support future research by (1) identifying the HBE characteristics that affect health outcomes; (2) defining appropriate future research designs; and (3) understanding the need for holistic analysis of the integrated effects of diverse HBE characteristics on health outcomes.
The study is intended to evaluate the comfort level of learning environment in three naturally ventilated colonial schools in Malaysia through the voice of students aged between 13 and 17. This study focuses on the influence of the colonial school classrooms physical environment towards the students’ comfort and behaviour. The research has two objectives: To evaluate post-occupancy comfort level and behavior in the naturally ventilated colonial schools and to suggest design elements that could improve the comfort level of a school classroom. Observations and investigations were conducted in three colonial schools; Victoria Institution, Methodist Girls Secondary School and Maxwell Secondary School in the morning session, between 7:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Survey questionnaires were distributed to one classroom of each school and simultaneously, an inventory of each classroom physical environment was recorded. It was found that the observed classroom differs slightly in the window-to-wall ratio, window size and occupancy density, which have an impact on the indoor environment and the students’ comfort and behaviour. From the survey results, among the three schools, the students in the Methodist Girls Secondary School are mostly comfortable throughout the morning session. In conclusion, several design elements, which can be adopted from the architecture of the colonial period, that make them conducive to learning environment are window-to-wall ratio, window sizes and occupancy density.
This article examines the characteristic of affordances of different outdoor environments, related to the influences of children's physical activity levels. Qualitative observation studies in a Norwegian kindergarten were conducted of 3- to 5-year-olds into the natural environment and in the kindergarten's outdoor area. An ecological approach was important from both an analytical and theoretical point of view, using concepts from Gibson's (The ecological approach to visual perception. Houghton Mifflin Company, Bosten, 1979) theory of affordances. The concepts of affordances in an environment can explain children's movement behaviour. The findings reveal that situations with high physical activity levels among the children are more often created in natural environments than in the kindergarten's outdoor environment. Natural environments offer potential qualities that are a catalyst for physical activity. The study shows that certain characteristic of the physical outdoor environment are important for children's opportunities and inspiration for physical active play. The findings also show that social possibilities and opportunities, human interactions, in the environment have the greatest influence on the duration and intensity of physically active play. The need for knowledge on physical and social opportunities in outdoor environments, educational practice and the content of outdoor time in kindergartens should be given greater attention.
The overarching aim of the study was to ascertain the relationship between children's perceptions of the natural environment and their subjective well-being. More specifically the study aimed to fit a structural model depicting the nature of the relationship between children's environmental views and their global, and domain-specific life satisfaction. The sample included 1004 twelve-year-old participants randomly selected from 15 primary schools in Cape Town, South Africa. The measuring instrument included the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale for children, the Students' Life Satisfaction Scale and the Personal Well-Being Index-School Children. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of the NEP Scale which showed appropriate fit structure. A good fit structure was also found for the overall structural equation model. However, the overall model showed that children's environmental views were not related to their global life and domain-specific life satisfaction. At a foundational level, more research is required to allow for a better understanding of how children in differing circumstances construct and assign meaning to nature, and what their perceptions of nature are before we can begin to ask them when, how or why they engage in nature.
Cognitive deficits are now widely recognized to be an important component of anxiety. In particular, anxiety is thought to restrict the capacity of working memory by competing with task-relevant processes. The evidence for this claim, however, has been mixed. Although some studies have found restricted working memory in anxiety, others have not. Within studies that have found impairments, there is little agreement regarding the boundary conditions of the anxiety/WMC association. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate the evidence for anxiety-related deficits in working memory capacity. First, a meta-analysis of 177 samples (N = 22,061 individuals) demonstrated that self-reported measures of anxiety are reliably related to poorer performance on measures of working memory capacity ( g = −.334, p< 10
−29). This finding was consistent across complex span (e.g., OSPAN; g = −.342, k = 30, N = 3,196, p = .000001), simple span (e.g., digit span; g = −.318, k = 127, N = 17,547, p < 10
−17), and dynamic span tasks (e.g., N -Back; g = −.437, k = 20, N = 1,318, p = .000003). Second, a narrative review of the literature revealed that anxiety, whether self-reported or experimentally induced, is related to poorer performance across a wide variety of tasks. Finally, the review identified a number of methodological limitations common in the literature as well as avenues for future research.
There is growing concern about the health effects of school classroom environments, where children spend long periods of time. However, little is known about the impact of multiple design features on children. This study used a virtual reality experimental approach to investigate the effects of classroom design characteristics on children’s physiological and psychological outcomes. Ninety-six school-aged children (aged 10–14 years) experienced classroom environments using virtual reality technology and the restorative effects of seven design characteristics in different combinations were tested. The children’s stress, attention, mood, and restoration were measured using physiological indicators and questionnaires during and after the experience. The results showed that six design characteristics had a significant effect on children: indoor plants, window views, seating arrangements, window areas, wall decorations, and wall and furniture colors. The effects and strengths of the different design characteristics varied. However, spatial density did not appear to have any effect. The results also revealed significant differences in cognitive and emotional perceptions according to gender and age. The need for future longitudinal experiments with long-term, real-life scenarios is discussed. The research findings can inform evidence-based design, guidelines, and standards for healthy school environments.
Background
There is increasing evidence on the link between environmental factors and myopia in children and adolescents, yet with inconsistent conclusions. We investigated the associations between socioeconomic inequalities and green space with myopia in school-aged students participating in the Tianjin Child and Adolescent Research of Eye (TCARE) study.
Methods
We obtained data from a population-based dynamic cohort study conducted in Tianjin, China, in 2021 and followed up in 2022. We included 1 245 271 participants from 16 districts with an average age of 11.6 years (standard deviation = 3.3) in our analysis. We synthesized their area-level SES through a prediction model that combined economic, educational, and health care variables and assessed the greenness levels surrounding the school using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based on data obtained through satellite remote sensing. We performed generalised linear mixed effects analyses for each myopia outcome separately, with adjustments for students’ sex, years of education completed, and the school’s geographical location.
Results
We observed that students living in low SES areas had the highest prevalence of myopia (60.7%) in the last screening in 2022, as well as a higher incidence of one-year myopia (26.4%) compared to those residing in middle SES areas (22.7%). With a 0.1 increase in the 250, 500, and 1000 m buffer NDVI, the prevalence of myopia dropped by 6.3% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.937; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.915, 0.960), 7.7% (OR = 0.923; 95% CI = 0.900, 0.946), and 8.7% (OR = 0.913; 95% CI = 0.889, 0.937), respectively. The interaction analysis showed that low SES and low greenness exacerbate the prevalence of myopia. Findings from longitudinal analyses consistently demonstrated a correlation between higher values of NDVI and a slower progression of myopia. These findings remained robust across sensitivity analyses, including for variables on parental myopia and students’ behaviors.
Conclusions
Exposure to green spaces could play a crucial role in slowing the progression of myopia among school-aged students. Myopia control policies should prioritise young populations residing in low SES areas with limited access to green spaces, as they face the highest potential risks.
School playgrounds are key settings for children’s health, and research has shown that well-designed playgrounds enhance physical activity. Despite the potential of school playgrounds, little is known about playground use of tweens (9–12-year-olds). We collected GPS and accelerometer data from 376 9–12-year-old children on four different Danish school playgrounds (located in Odense, Haderslev, Aabybro, and Asnæs) in August-September 2020 mapping areas with high physical activity. We conclude that soccer fields and equipped areas away from the main playground facilitated higher physical activity for both boys and girls and that climbing equipment facilitated higher physical activity for girls. Locations with lower physical activity were found in open areas with no play equipment as well as in areas with play equipment for younger children. Finally, we found several examples of areas with higher activity for one gender and lower activity for the other gender suggesting that students were engaged in spectating. In this study, we contribute with unique and important knowledge on locations that facilitate physical activity for an age group of which studies are sparse. Our findings point to important and specific patterns of school playground behavior that should be considered in planning playgrounds that motivate physical activity in tweens.
Various environmental, architectural, and individual factors other than quantity and quality of light, affect pupils' visual comfort in the classrooms. The simultaneous effect of these factors on visual perception is more substantial than the individual impact of each. In this study, an Structural Equation Model (SEM) technique systematically explains students' visual comfort evaluation. It quantifies the effects and values of various factors that directly and indirectly affect classroom visual comfort.
The survey is designed to evaluate all the variables of the conceptual model. 192 students in a high school in Tehran participated in this survey. Field measurement and simulation were conducted to gather physical parameters data. As a result, the proposed partial least square-structural equation model (PLS-SEM) model showed statistical significance and a high model fitness level (GoF= 0.547). It is confirmed that overall visual comfort is significantly affected by twelve studied variables such as glare sensation and perceived lighting level. Among these, the lighting level has the highest importance, while view satisfaction has the lowest in this visual comfort model. In south classrooms, electricity load (6.5%) and satisfaction level (6.0%) are higher than in the north in June. The findings of this study help to provide valuable insights for improving visual comfort in classrooms.
Objectives
Few studies have comprehensively assessed multiple environmental exposures affecting children's health. This study applied machine-learning methods to evaluate how indoor environmental conditions at home and school contribute to asthma and allergy-related symptoms.
Methods
We randomly selected 10 public schools representing different socioeconomic status in New York State (2017–2019) and distributed questionnaires to students to collect health status and home-and school-environmental exposures. Indoor air quality was measured at school, and ambient particle exposures (PM2.5 and components) were measured using real-time personal monitors for 48 h. We used random forest model for identifying most important risk factors for asthma and allergy-related symptoms, and decision tree for visualizing the inter-relationships among the multiple risk factors with the health outcomes.
Results
The top contributing factors identified for asthma were family rhinitis history (relative importance: 10.40%), plant pollen trigger (5.48%); bedroom carpet (3.58%); environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) trigger symptom (2.98%); and ETS exposure (2.56%). For allergy-related symptoms, plant pollen trigger (10.88%), higher paternal education (7.33%), bedroom carpet (5.28%), family rhinitis history (4.78%), and higher maternal education (4.25%) were the strongest contributing factors. Conversely, primary heating with hot water radiator was negatively (−6.86%) associated with asthma symptoms. Younger children (<9 years old) with family history rhinitis and having carpet in bedroom, were the prominent combined risk factors for asthma. Children jointly exposed to pollen, solvents, and carpeting in their home tended to have greater risks of allergy-related symptoms, even without family history of rhinitis.
Conclusion
Family rhinitis history, bedroom carpet, and pollen triggers were the most important risk factors for both asthma and allergy-related symptoms. Our new findings included that hot-water radiator was related to reduced asthma symptoms, and the combination of young age, rhinitis history, and bedroom carpeting was related to increased asthma symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Designing school settings that provide a satisfying experience of nature and enhance well-being could be advantageous for children and teachers, though in cold climates prolonged periods of precipitation, restricted sunshine and low temperatures represent non-ideal conditions for fostering a connection with nature. This paper reviews research into the relationships between principles of biophilic design and well-being, with specific consideration for learning environments in cold climates. Children spend more time in school than any other place, except the home, and most of their learning activities occur indoors. Given the large portion of the day children and teachers spend within the built environment, an architect's perspective investigates these relationships. The paper examines the concepts and research findings that appear to offer the greatest potential for future architectural applications in children's learning environments. It also identifies gaps in biophilic design strategies in relation to schools and the importance of considering climatic conditions to create satisfying experiences of nature within the built environment. If biophilic design research is to lead to healthier, more comfortable school settings that present a greater connection between learning spaces and the natural environment, then to identify and define beneficial guidelines that translate readily into architecture is essential.
A field lab study was conducted to determine how much the indoor climate parameters, ventilation and lighting, influence children's academic abilities. The study involved 92 children, aged 10–12 years, who over four weeks answered a questionnaire and three different performance tests, which measured their processing speed, concentration, logical reasoning and math solving abilities. An experimental design was constructed to test the effect of changing the lighting from constant warm light with a maintained correlated colour temperature average of 2900 K and lighting level of 450 lux to a dynamic cool light of 4900 K and 750 lux. The change was tested at both low (3.9 l/s per person) and high ventilation rate (10.6 l/s per person). The results showed that processing speed (6.6%, P < 0.001), concentration (8.3%, P < 0.001) and math skills (11.8%, P < 0.006), improved the most in the combined scenario with high ventilation rate and dynamic cool lighting. The logical reasoning test did not show any significant changes. The questionnaire results of the pupils' perception of the indoor environment suggested that they were satisfied in general, but the indoor environmental changes had only very limited effect on how they perceived the classroom. The combination of dynamic lighting and increased ventilation rate indicated a boosted positive impact on the speed and concentration of the children which means that future renovations would benefit from a holistic design including both of these factors.
This study investigates the effects of Problem Based Learning (PBL) assisted with Augmented Reality (AR) on learning achievement and attitude towards physics subjects as a part of science education. The sample of the study included 91 seventh graders from a province in the north of Turkey. A quasi-experimental design with two experimental groups and a control group was utilized. Based upon marker-based AR technologies, FenAR software was developed to support with PBL activities in the classroom. The experimental results indicated that integrating AR into PBL activities both increased students' learning achievement and promoted their positive attitudes towards physics subjects. This technology contributed to students' long-term retention of the concepts in the field of physics. In semi-structured interviews, the students emphasized that AR applications were more useful, realistic, and interesting for their learning; helped them to understand and analyse the problem scenarios. Apart from educational advantages, AR applications may lead to physical disorders among some of the students. It has been suggested that AR technology can be a potential and effective tool for activating students' positive emotions in PBL process. Moreover, implications on use of AR for physics education and recommendations for further studies are also discussed in the study.
Indoor environment in classroom is vital to pupils’ perception, health and performance, especially thermal comfort. In this study, during the experimental process, thermal comfort parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity) were controlled under different conditions, and the relationship between temperature and learning performance was investigated. Moreover, carbon dioxide concentration, acoustics, and illumination were maintained at the same level. Six groups were recruited to participate in the entire experiment under six temperature conditions. During each experiment, the participants voted on their perceptions of thermal sensation, thermal comfort, thermal satisfaction, and sick building syndrome symptoms, and undertook learning tasks consisting of ten items to evaluate performance. It was proven that thermal discomfort caused by high or low temperatures had a negative impact on pupil learning performance. The temperature variation affected not only thermal comfort, but also pupil well-being. The influence of temperature on learning performance testing varied differentially, depending on the task types. A quantitative relationship was established between the temperature and learning performance, with the highest performance recorded at a temperature of approximately 14 °C. Optimal performance was obtained when pupils felt “slightly cool” to “cool”. Consequently, it is logical to set the comfort zone in school classrooms within the range of −1.4, instead of between −1 and 0, as obtained from adult productivity.
Problem:
An increasing body of research is showing associations between green space and overall health. Children are spending more time indoors while pediatric mental and behavioral health problems are increasing. A systematic review of the literature was done to examine the association between access to green space and the mental well-being of children.
Eligibility criteria:
Articles were limited to English language, ages 0-18years, and publish date 2012-2017.
Results:
Twelve articles relating to green space and the mental well-being of children were reviewed. Three articles outside the date criteria were included as they are cited often in the literature as important early research on this topic.
Conclusions:
Access to green space was associated with improved mental well-being, overall health and cognitive development of children. It promotes attention restoration, memory, competence, supportive social groups, self-discipline, moderates stress, improves behaviors and symptoms of ADHD and was even associated with higher standardized test scores.
Implications:
Scientific evidence demonstrating the mental health benefits of access to nature for children can guide policy and urban planning, while nursing interventions and initiatives can enhance health by promoting outdoor play, educating patients and families, advocating for recess times and green environments at school as well as healing gardens in hospital settings.
Using the standard bathroom facilities and equipment designed for adults by small children presents numerous difficulties. Due to the smaller size of the child, its motor space (particularly space of reach and grasp) is also reduced. For this reason, the use of standard full-size sanitary devices intended for adults is uncomfortable and dangerous for the child, and usually requires a help of parents or caregivers, what in turn results in limited development of the child self-reliance and independence. Actions taken during design hygienic-sanitary rooms used by preschool children should include the possibility of creating favorable conditions for the availability, safety, and adaption of them to the needs and demands of small users in terms of entire functional-spatial structure and individual functional elements of equipment. The bathroom facilities should also be friendly, cozy and inviting aesthetically. The paper will be presented the motor-space analysis associated with the use of bathroom devices by children of preschool age. The work will also be discussed ways to introduce facilitations and additional improvements in the bathroom for small users. The possibility of introducing to the bathroom devices with reduced dimensions adapted to the needs and motor skills of small children, as well as additional support elements will also be considered.
Issues of safety and comfort of use are among the main objectives of ergonomic design hygienic and sanitary spaces, rooms and facilities. Their proper ergonomic quality plays a key role in shaping the conditions affecting the health and safety of users. These are people of different age and psychophysical condition, including children in different age groups, also small and preschool children, which require special, extra care. Every day they are exposed to the risk of fall, slip, bump, wound, fracture, shock, drowning and poisoning, while using the bathroom at home and in other places such as kindergarten. The probability of an accident is very high due to the specifics and amount of different tasks for which they used the bathroom and because of the type of the bathroom equipment. The increased vulnerability of children to accidents is a result of their large mobility and spontaneity. Children manifest a special interest in the environment and the desire to learn about it, but often their attention is distracted, due to their temperaments. In addition, still undeveloped full physical fitness and lack of sense of distance and ignorance of risks and hazards, enhance their vulnerability to accidents. Preventive actions aimed at adapting the hygienic-sanitary places to meet the needs of children with particular reference to their health, safety and well-being can improve the quality of bathrooms for all users. Therefore, consideration of this issue at the stage of their planning and design is extremely important. The work will be discussed the types of inconveniences and risks to which children are exposed using the bathroom. The paper will be presented ways to prevent them by introducing precautions and additional improvements in the bathroom. The bathrooms, which are used by children should not only be functional and safe, but also attractive and interesting, therefore, work will also consider the aesthetic criteria of shaping these rooms.
Creating a child-friendly hygienic and sanitary space refers not only to area that is associated with a bathroom at home. The toilets in kindergartens are one of the most important rooms in these institutions. They have a significant impact on the well-being of children, as well as their health and safety. As it turns out, the preschoolers often avoid using the bathrooms in kindergarten due to both unfavorable sanitary infrastructure and discomfort associated with various psychosocial factors, including the lack of a sense of privacy. Such reactions can cause serious health effects. Therefore, the planning and design of bathrooms and selection of sanitary equipment for the children at the kindergarten should be done with great care and attention to the needs and requirements of this age group. Designing a functional, safe bathroom for kindergarten requires knowledge of the rules, regulations and references to the needs of children in terms of their physical skills. However arranging the child-friendly bathroom requires something more. It needs consideration of the requirements and expectations of children in terms of their relationship with the environment and the widely understood friendliness, coziness and attractiveness of the surrounding conditions. The work will be discussed the examples of creating and arranging kindergarten bathrooms, taking into account the above aspects. Specific models will show the possibilities of functional and aesthetic formation of bathrooms.
Background:
In a rapidly urbanizing world, many people have little contact with natural environments, which may affect health and well-being. Existing reviews generally conclude that residential greenspace is beneficial to health. However, the processes generating these benefits and how they can be best promoted remain unclear.
Objectives:
During an Expert Workshop held in September 2016, the evidence linking greenspace and health was reviewed from a transdisciplinary standpoint, with a particular focus on potential underlying biopsychosocial pathways and how these can be explored and organized to support policy-relevant population health research.
Discussions:
Potential pathways linking greenspace to health are here presented in three domains, which emphasize three general functions of greenspace: reducing harm (e.g. reducing exposure to air pollution, noise and heat), restoring capacities (e.g. attention restoration and physiological stress recovery) and building capacities (e.g. encouraging physical activity and facilitating social cohesion). Interrelations between among the three domains are also noted. Among several recommendations, future studies should: use greenspace and behavioural measures that are relevant to hypothesized pathways; include assessment of presence, access and use of greenspace; use longitudinal, interventional and (quasi)experimental study designs to assess causation; and include low and middle income countries given their absence in the existing literature. Cultural, climatic, geographic and other contextual factors also need further consideration.
Conclusions:
While the existing evidence affirms beneficial impacts of greenspace on health, much remains to be learned about the specific pathways and functional form of such relationships, and how these may vary by context, population groups and health outcomes. This Report provides guidance for further epidemiological research with the goal of creating new evidence upon which to develop policy recommendations.
Questionnaires on symptoms and perceived quality of indoor environment are used to assess indoor environment problems, but mainly among adults. The aim of this article is to explore best ways to analyze and report such symptom data, as part of a project to develop a parent-administered indoor air questionnaire for primary school pupils. Indoor air questionnaire with 25 questions on child's symptoms in the last 4 weeks was sent to parents in 5 primary schools with indoor air problems and in 5 control schools. 83% of parents (N=1470) in case schools and 82% (N=805) in control schools returned the questionnaire. In two schools 351 (52%) parents answered the questionnaire twice with a two week interval. Based on prevalence of symptoms, their test-retest repeatability (ICC), and on principal component analysis (PCA), the number of symptoms was reduced to 17 and six symptoms scores were developed. Six variants of these six symptom scores were then formed and their ability to rank schools compared. Four symptom scores (respiratory, lower respiratory, eye, and general symptoms) analyzed dichotomized maintained sufficiently well the diversity of symptom data and captured the between-school differences in symptom prevalence, when compared to more complex and numerous scores. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Teachers usually implement their pedagogical ideas in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) in a continuous refinement approach also known as “bricolage”. Recently, different proposals have enabled the ubiquitous access to VLEs, thus extending the bricolage mode of operation to other learning spaces. However, such proposals tend to present several limitations for teachers to orchestrate learning situations conducted across different physical and virtual spaces. This paper presents an evaluation study that involved the across-spaces usage of Moodle in bricolage mode and learning buckets (configurable containers of learning artifacts) in multiple learning situations spanning five months in a course on Physical Education in the Natural Environment for pre-service teachers. The study followed a responsive evaluation model, in which we conducted an anticipatory data reduction using an existing orchestration framework (called “5 + 3 aspects”) for structuring data gathering and analysis. The results showed that learning buckets helped the teachers in the multiple aspects of orchestration, overcoming the limitations of alternative approaches in some specific orchestration aspects: helping the involved teachers to connect different physical and physical spaces, while supporting technologies and activities of their everyday practice, and transferring part of the orchestration load from teachers to students. The results also suggested lines of future improvement, including the awareness of outdoor activities. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131517300520
Children spend more time in schools than in any other place except at home. Children are more susceptible than adults to effects of toxic exposure, but also to poor acoustic conditions. It is known for some time that unsatisfactory environmental conditions, can have both short-term and long-term health effects, and can affect productivity or learning ability of the children. The underlying literature study focusses on the role of the indoor school environment on the health, comfort and performance of children in classrooms. In the last decades, many studies all over the world have been performed to document the indoor environment in classrooms and to examine relations with diseases and disorders. An inventory is made of these studies, major identified issues are discussed and ‘new’ directions of research are proposed. It is concluded that new generation research studies should be focussed on engagement of the children in an active way, preferable in semi-lab environments, and taking account of all aspects and interactions between them.
This article provides an historical overview of significant trends in school architecture from 1798 to the present. I divide the history of school architecture into two major phases. The first period falls between 1798 and 1921: the modern graded classroom emerged as a standard architectural feature during this period. The second period, which extends from 1921 to the present, has been defined primarily by the growing influence of progressive educational ideas and practice on school design. It is argued that school architecture has changed gradually over the last 200 years by building on existing design trends rather than breaking from them. The article concludes with some speculations about current trends in school architecture.