The Importance of Interior Design Elements as They Relate to Student Outcomes
C. Kenneth Tanner, Ed. D., REFP
School Design and Planning Laboratory
Faculty of Engineering
The University of Georgia
310 River’s Crossing
Athens, GA 30602
http://www.coe.uga.edu/sdpl/sdpl.html
Dr. Ann Langford
School Design and Planning Laboratory
The University of Georgia
310 River’s Crossing
Athens, GA 30602
A Research Project Sponsored by the Carpet and Rug Institute
http://www.carpet-rug.com/index.cfm
Abstract
Although there is some documented information about perceptions of teachers concerning the physical environment and its influence on student learning, behavior, and achievement, the literature is silent regarding perceptions of elementary school principals on importance of interior design elements, including floor coverings, in schools and the influence of floor covering on student achievement. The issues of the floor covering’s role in absorbing noise, its contribution to classroom flexibility, safety, and security were investigated with respect to student achievement. The issues addressed in this study were investigated according to these questions:
1. What are the perceptions that elementary school principals have concerning the influence of the interior design elements such as floor and wall coverings, lighting, flexibility, acoustics, color, texture, patterns, cleanliness, and maintenance on student achievement, teacher retention, and student attendance?
2. Does the acoustics of the environment relate significantly to student achievement?
3. What floor coverings in the classroom relate significantly to the acoustics of classroom?
4. Are there any possible links between floor coverings in the classroom and student achievement?
The population for this study included public elementary schools in Georgia in the year 2002. To collect perceptual data, a questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 100 public elementary school principals in Georgia. Based on the results of this survey, a sample of schools having carpeted and hard surface flooring in classrooms were selected for site visits to measure reverberation time and background noise. A sound level meter and reverberation meter were used for measuring acoustics. Information regarding student performance, teacher experience, and certification was also gathered from official records. Over 93% of the principals noted that the general classroom design has a somewhat strong impact on student achievement. When student achievement was analyzed, the control variables included socioeconomic status and teacher education and experience, while the volume of the classroom, surface area, and background noise were used in comparing reverberation times. A negative correlation was found when reverberation times and student mathematics achievement were analyzed, indicating that student mathematics achievement scores in classrooms with lower reverberation times were higher. In all subject areas studied, students attending schools having carpeted classrooms had higher achievement scores than those attending schools in hard surfaced classrooms.
Overview of the Study
Introduction
School construction is becoming a major industry in the United States. Counties, cities, districts, and states are allotting fiscal funds and taxpayer dollars to build the newest, most modern and technologically advanced facilities in which to educate people for the future. As educators embrace how to adequately prepare students for their academic futures, there arises the question of where to educate these individuals, and these concerns are not necessarily limited to a certain state, town, or city. The dilemma focuses on specifically in what type of facility are students given the best advantage in which to most greatly benefit their learning. As this particular issue surfaces, many of the school buildings presently inhabited by students and staff are viewed to be in declining conditions. Local school boards throughout the country continually struggle with the decision to renovate, add to, or construct new facilities to meet the growing population needs (Castaldi, 1994). Such a decision is difficult to make when trying to consider short and long-term expenses and production and correlate this information with demanding requirements and community desires (Tanner, 2000b).
Any commitment made by a local school board requires community support in order to adequately meet the needs of parents, students, and area businesses. The undertaking by a school board to make a decision relating to facility construction is a lengthy and ongoing process which usually begins with a comprehensive school study involving a community and economic analysis, education program analysis, financial analysis, and building reviews (Castaldi, 1994; NCES, 2000). The school facility is a large infrastructure with many technical specifications that must be examined thoroughly in order to create the most appropriate spaces for student learning and teaching. The perceptions that teachers and principals have about where students learn should now be considered as a guide to conducting research on the physical environment’s influence on student achievement and behavior. This particular study focused on perceived variables that may link student achievement and the physical environment, specifically the various floor coverings as they influence the acoustics of the environment.
Statement of the Problem
Although there is some documented information about the perceptions of teachers concerning the physical environment and its influence on student learning, behavior, and achievement (Schapiro, 2000), the literature is silent regarding the perceptions of elementary school principals on the importance of interior design elements, including floor coverings, in schools. For example, there is a lack of information regarding what elementary school principals perceive about the impact of interior design elements such as acoustics, maintenance, cleanliness of the school, color and color patterns, textures of the floors and walls, the floor covering’s role in absorbing noise, classroom flexibility, safety, and security relating to student achievement. Beyond perceptions of teachers and principals, there exist only a few scientific studies of the influence of the physical environment on student achievement (Heschong Mahone Group, 1999; Tanner, 2000b; Weinstein, 1979; Yarborough, 2001). While The National Center for Educational Statistics (2000) provided some research in the area of school facilities concerning age and maintenance of buildings, it failed to include data relating the physical environment to student learning.
In order to address this dearth in the literature, this study addressed principals’ perceptions of the physical environment. Using the results of the principals’ perceptions, a sample of schools having both a “perceived good and bad acoustical environment” was selected for further study. The latter component of the study dealt with acoustical measures in the “perceived good and bad acoustical environments” and compared the measures of sound levels in these two environments to student achievement. The issues of the floor covering’s role in noise absorption, its contribution to classroom flexibility, safety and security were investigated with respect to student achievement.
Purpose
One purpose of this study was to extend the findings of Schapiro’s 2000 study to include the perceptions of elementary school principals regarding the interior design of the schools. Schapiro (2000) discovered that 73% of a national sample of teachers perceived the interior design of schools to be very important for creating a good learning environment; 55% perceived that classroom design impacts student achievement; and 69% of the teachers preferred carpet or a combination of carpet and linoleum, tile, or hardwood. Another purpose of this study was to provide an objective measurement of student achievement and determine if it is possibly a function the acoustical environment. The underlying theory relevant to this research was that the space where the children learn makes a significant impact upon academic achievement. More specifically, this study was designed to explore the effects of the type of flooring in the classroom on student outcomes.
Importance of the Study
No studies have yet dealt collectively with the perceptions of the school leader, the principal, regarding the impact of interior design components such as acoustics, comfort and safety, and aesthetic effects of floor coverings upon the student’s academic achievement. Why is it important to know the perceptions of the school leader? As Hart and Bredeson (1996) have pointed out, “Principals are central players in bringing about improvement in educational outcomes for all learners in their schools” (p. 33). The principal is the instructional leader of a school and has the immediate responsibility for the school facility. Furthermore, school systems should involve the school principal in the planning and design of the school (McGhee, 2001). From the results of this study, school administrators and architects can use the information provided to create future optimal learning environments or modify existing ones using allotted funds for the most appropriate type of floor covering that will foster student academic growth. In essence, the findings from this study may fill the void that exists in what is now offered as information for the construction of the school facility.
Research Questions
Given the gaps in the research as delineated in the previous sections, the following research questions guided the two parts of this study:
1. What are the perceptions that elementary school principals have concerning the influence of the interior design elements such as floor and wall coverings, lighting, flexibility, acoustics, color, texture, patterns, cleanliness, and maintenance on student achievement, teacher retention, and student attendance?
2. Does the acoustics of the environment relate significantly to student achievement?
3. What floor coverings relate significantly to the acoustics of classroom?
4. Are there any possible links between floor coverings in the classroom and student achievement?
Assumptions
Several assumptions guided this study. First, it was assumed that appropriate methodology and instrumentation could be designed to scientifically answer the research questions. Second, socioeconomic and other variables were controlled in order to create an unbiased sample and make comparisons regarding student achievement among the schools. Third, it was assumed that the existing measures of student achievement were unbiased, valid, and reliable. Finally, it was assumed that the measures of the acoustical environment and the questionnaire were valid and reliable (See Table 3.1).
Summary of Procedures
For the purpose of this study, sets of data were gathered to answer the research questions. One set of data was related to the physical environment; another set dealt with the population of students and teachers. The population included the public elementary schools of Georgia in 2002. The sample (classified as rural, urban, and rural-urban) consisted of 100 randomly selected schools having pk-5 or k-5 organizational structure.
To collect the perceptual data, a questionnaire was created and sent to a random sample of 100 public elementary schools in Georgia. The questionnaire was validated in Spring 2002. This questionnaire, completed by the principals of the schools, was similar to that used in the national survey of school teachers by Schapiro (2000). The survey question regarding the present type of floor covering in classrooms was used to select schools to be visited. Other variables of particular importance to this study addressed by the questionnaire included acoustics, comfort and safety, and aesthetics. Thirty-one of these schools were selected for site visits. Schools were divided into two categories: those with “perceived good and bad acoustics”.
Other instruments were needed to measure acoustics in the sample of schools. A digital sound level meter (Model 407764) was used to measure initial background decibels, and a reverberation time meter (Goldline – GL 60) was used in measuring reverberation time. The researcher, to learn the appropriate use of this instrument and ensure a systematic data set for the 31 schools, attended a special seminar determining the most effective procedures to collect acoustical data in an existing school building. Measures of acoustics in the 31 schools were taken scientifically with the standardized instruments and measurement procedures.
Following the collection of the environmental data, information regarding student performance and teacher experience and certification was gathered for each of the schools. These data were collected from recent standardized testing scores and information indicating student ethnicity and socioeconomic status were also collected. Data regarding teachers that were collected included teacher training, experience, and certification level. These factors relative to the teaching staff and socioeconomic status were used as covariates to ensure valid comparisons on the dependent variable of student achievement. Furthermore, information regarding school characteristics and floor covering was also detailed in the analysis. Following data coding, statistical treatment included frequency counts, percentages, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis (alpha < .05).
Some limitations, constraints, considerations, and gaps that may have hindered accurate findings were inherent in this study. Assessment of acoustics was thorough, given the instrumentation. The instruments used for sound measure were the Extech Sound Meter and the Goldline reverberation time meter (GL 60). Many other variables possibly caused limitations. For example, the evaluation was dependent on the responses to the mail out survey. Socioeconomic status was represented in all schools studied through percentages of free and reduced lunches serving as indicators. Teacher quality was another concern for the sample studied, given as the education level of the teachers, teachers having the same degree of education from various institutions of higher education may not provide equal services to students through teaching. Even equal levels of certification may be questioned regarding quality of teaching. These gaps in the study were addressed and acknowledged as limitations associated with the conclusions and findings.
Presentation and Analysis of Data
A mail out questionnaire was sent to 100 randomly selected elementary principals in Georgia. In order to qualify for the study, the elementary school was required to include kindergarten through the fifth grade or pre-kindergarten through the fifth grade. Of the surveys mailed, 48 were returned, and 45 were usable as some were not adequately completed. Using the responses from the survey, specifically the question regarding floor covering and acoustical environment, there were 31 schools selected for site visits. However, some principals responded to the question with the whole school in mind, rather than the classrooms. This was discovered during site visits and justified the data reduction as noted later in this chapter. Additionally, the condition of the floor covering and the acoustical rating of the classroom were factors determining whether or not a school would be included for a site visit. This variable also figured into the necessary data reductions.
Supplemental data noting fifth grade test scores were collected for those schools identified for school visits. Specifically, test score information from the 2001 Stanford-9 was obtained via the School Report Card posted on the Internet by the Georgia Department of Education. Along with the test scores, other information including school size, student ethnicity, the reduced and free lunch ratio, teacher certification, and teacher experience were also reported. The reduced and free lunch information was used to approximate socioeconomic status (SES). The variables used as covariates in the analysis of the student data were SES of the students, teacher certification, amount of teacher training, and teacher experience. These were included to minimize bias in the findings.
During the site visits, an individual fifth grade classroom was examined noting the dimensions specific to surface area and volume. Other notations on a checklist were made specifying HVAC operation status, ceiling material, wall material, absorbing materials, furniture arrangement, floor covering type, color, and quality. These variables were included to assist in decisions about data reduction, if that became necessary. They were also needed to clarify any unusual variability in background noise and reverberation times.
In order to determine initial background noise, the decibel reading meter was placed in the center of the room, and the settings were placed on slow and 30 rather than fast or any other logging level. These speeds were the recommended settings by the manufacturer. This omni-directional recording instrument measured the background noise of the classroom. The reverberation time of the classroom was identified through the use of the reverberation time meter. This instrument was placed in the same position as the decibel reading meter. The researcher stood at the center of the largest white board area to produce the sounds to be measured for reverberation time. This was always in the front of the classroom and was assumed to be the place where the teacher did the majority of instruction. The reverberation time meter was set on the standard settings recommended by the individual manufacturers for the instrument. A paper bag was blown to capacity and popped to create the first noise to be recorded. Bags of equal sizes were used through the testing. The reverberation time meter was reset to original settings, and the starter pistol was fired and the reverberation time was recorded. All of the information and data collected were documented in a database relative to each school code. These procedures and methods of data collection were used to provide information for assessing the following research questions:
Perceptions of Elementary School Principals - Question 1
Because of identified gaps in the literature, this study focused on this question:
What are the perceptions that elementary school principals have concerning the influence of the interior design elements such as floor and wall coverings, lighting, flexibility, acoustics, color, texture, patterns, cleanliness, and maintenance on student achievement, teacher retention, and student attendance? Using the survey results, frequency counts were completed.
Table 1 Responses to Questions # 1 - 3
|
Question |
2- Not very important |
3- Somewhat important |
4- Very important |
|
1-Importance of school’s interior design for creating a good learning environment |
2.1% |
2.1% |
95.8% |
|
2-Importance of school’s interior design for teacher retention |
8.3% |
54.2% |
37.5% |
|
3-Importance of school’s interior design for student attendance |
12.5% |
60.4% |
25% |
Table 1 and Figure 1 identify the principals’ perceptions of questions #1 –3 of the survey. Approximately 98% of the responders noted that the school’s interior design is important for creating a good learning environment.
Figure 1 Importance of Interior Design
Questions #4- 17 asked principals to indicate the impact particular design aspects of the classroom have upon student achievement. Of those responses, 93.7% of the principals suggested that the general classroom design had a somewhat to strong impact on student achievement. More specifically, 4% indicated the classroom design has very little impact; while, 59% noted the classroom design has a somewhat strong impact, and 35% agreed that the classroom design has a very strong impact on student achievement.
Figure 2 outlines the principals’ perceptions of the overall impact of the classroom design upon student achievement (question 4). Student achievement is impacted strongly by the classroom’s physical environment, according to 94% of the principals surveyed.
Figure 2 Impact of Classroom Design