How School Environment Affects Learning
How Classroom Environment Affects Student Learning
Your child’s classroom environment can affect their ability to learn. Learn how your child’s school environment impacts them.
Your child will learn by being involved in the type of environment that you place them in.
It’s not often that parents think about the importance of the classroom environment on learning, however now more than ever we contemplate this topic.
If you want your child to progress, then you should provide them with the right environment for learning. In this article, we will cover how the environment of the school affects student learning.
Keep reading to find out why a private school might be a better option for you.
The Influence of the Classroom Environment on Student Learning
Most people would agree that a healthy classroom learning environment can be a catalyst for higher academic performance.
Yes there are many types of classroom environment, however a calm, uplifting and positive classroom will surely be better than a loud and cluttered one.
Any study of the modern school environment will show a strong correlation between classroom environmental changes and academic success. Not to mention that an appropriately developed school environment will encourage teachers to be great at what they do, instead of having a negative impact on the children.
Let’s take a look at some factors that support advanced learning:
- Order and safety
- Teacher collaboration and relationship
- Academic outcome expectations
- Professional development
- Leadership exploration
Students who go to a safe school where they form positive relationships with teachers and peers can have a learning advantage over those students who attend a school without such these relationships. Private schools are sometimes preferred for these reasons alone.
Nonetheless, this is a very abstract way to look at the problem. So let’s take a look at some specific environmental considerations.
How Does Lighting, Color, and Other Factors Affect Learning?
Color has an effect on learning. Red and yellow can make people hungry, hence why McDonald’s uses it. Blue, violet, green are tranquil and help calm the mind.
In most early-education schools, the primary colors are seen in prominence around the children. It is believed that they are appealing in the classroom. But they are not just appealing, children are very sensitive to these colors, and they can be overused in some situations.
Most classrooms are painted white. However, selecting a different color and the right lighting can benefit learning tremendously. Natural light is particularly important. It plays a part in the production of essential vitamins and increased cognitive capacity.
Some of the country’s educational systems are aware of these facts, and use them to an advantage. In South Korea academic performance is an important denominator for success. Here they have specific lighting for recess, reading, and test-taking. All of which affect the mood and productivity in some way.
This is not to say that one should take all examples from South Korea, where some kids spend 8-10 hours in school with very little time for play and other important things. But one can certainly become inspired by their attention to details in the classroom.
How Does Design and Size of a Classroom Affect Learning?
For students to achieve higher scores and graduation rates they must be part of a school that has a tight-knit community.
Small is to be defined as being 150 students or less. It has been shown that when the school population started to exceed 180 students, the positive benefits of community feelings start to recede.
Unfortunately, since the majority of schools accommodate much larger amounts of students, the next best thing is to break up classrooms into smaller sizes or spread them out across multiple buildings.
This is similar to a college campus. When students can identify the learning environment with a sense of belonging—the performance and dedication of their study will drastically improve. No matter the age—a student in a smaller classroom will feel at ease in the comfort of a personalized relationship with educators and peers.
Rows of desks, one-directional seating are outdated at best, and should only be seen in pictures of industrial factories from the 1950s. Teachers and architects are realizing these changes, and are striving to create new and better learning environments for the children of tomorrow.
A mix of indoor and outdoor, quiet and reflective, messy, and experimental—these are all applicable and should be encouraged.
The Perfect Classroom Environment for Your Children
Do you see the importance of the classroom environment, and how big of a role it plays in the success of your children in and outside of the school? If so, you might be wondering, how do I find a place that already accommodates all of these necessities of modern education?
Well, you’re the right place to do just that. Here at the Notre Dame Academy in the Carmel Valley, a private Catholic school that strives, and continues to adhere to all of the requirements of a student of the future. We provide a fully-applicable and exciting educational environment that helps students become the best they can. We welcome all students, aged 3-11.
If you’re interested in learning more about the school or discovering the admission requirements, feel free to click on any of the navigational links above.
