Effects of Classroom Ventilation Rate and Temperature on Students’ Test Scores

Resource type
Journal Article
Authors/contributors
Title
Effects of Classroom Ventilation Rate and Temperature on Students’ Test Scores
Abstract
Using a multilevel approach, we estimated the effects of classroom ventilation rate and temperature on academic achievement. The analysis is based on measurement data from a 70 elementary school district (140 fifth grade classrooms) from Southwestern United States, and student level data (N = 3109) on socioeconomic variables and standardized test scores. There was a statistically significant association between ventilation rates and mathematics scores, and it was stronger when the six classrooms with high ventilation rates that were indicated as outliers were filtered (> 7.1 l/s per person). The association remained significant when prior year test scores were included in the model, resulting in less unexplained variability. Students’ mean mathematics scores (average 2286 points) were increased by up to eleven points (0.5%) per each liter per second per person increase in ventilation rate within the range of 0.9–7.1 l/s per person (estimated effect size 74 points). There was an additional increase of 12–13 points per each 1°C decrease in temperature within the observed range of 20–25°C (estimated effect size 67 points). Effects of similar magnitude but higher variability were observed for reading and science scores. In conclusion, maintaining adequate ventilation and thermal comfort in classrooms could significantly improve academic achievement of students.
Publication
PLOS ONE
Volume
10
Issue
8
Pages
e0136165
Date
28 Aug 2015
Journal Abbr
PLOS ONE
Language
en
ISSN
1932-6203
Accessed
28/05/2022, 21:00
Library Catalogue
PLoS Journals
Call Number
openalex:W1631776574
Extra
Publisher: Public Library of Science openalex: W1631776574
Citation
Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U., & Shaughnessy, R. J. (2015). Effects of Classroom Ventilation Rate and Temperature on Students’ Test Scores. PLOS ONE, 10(8), e0136165. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136165