The effects of indoor environmental factors on students' academic achievement

Adel Kabirikopaei, Michael Kuhlenengel, Ann Arthur, Jim Bovaird, Josephine Lau, Clarence Waters, Lily M. Wang

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the impacts of indoor environmental factors on students' academic achievement. The thermal, indoor air quality (IAQ), acoustics, and lighting conditions gathered from 220 classrooms in the Midwest region of the United States were studied. The data have been collected under occupied and unoccupied conditions for two days in three seasons from 2015-2017. IAQ and thermal measurements included the indoor concentration of carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, the count of particles with aerosol diameters ranging from 0.3 μm to 2.5 μm and aerosol diameters ranging from 2.5 μm to 10 μm, air temperature, relative humidity, and globe temperature. View, daylighting, and electric lighting data were collected for lighting condition. Assorted background and occupied noise levels and room impulse responses from which reverberation times are extrapolated were collected for acoustics data. In addition, demographics and students' performance data were included in this study. The field measurements revealed that all classrooms meet IES recommended illuminance level for reading and writing but only 20% of classrooms in this study meet the ASHRAE Std. 62.1 ventilation rate requirements. In comparison to ANSI S12.60, 91% of the classrooms do not meet the recommended maximum background noise level for unoccupied conditions, while 15% do not meet the recommended maximum reverberation time. Statistical analysis is currently in progress. These analyses include: (1) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to define latent variable constructs that describe the indoor environmental quality, and (2) structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the correlation of these indoor environmental factors and student's academic achievement.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAEI 2019
Subtitle of host publicationIntegrated Building Solutions - The National Agenda - Proceedings of the Architectural Engineering National Conference 2019
EditorsMoses D. F. Ling, Robert M. Leicht, Ryan L. Solnosky
PublisherAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Pages257-264
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9780784482261
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
EventArchitectural Engineering National Conference 2019: Integrated Building Solutions - The National Agenda, AEI 2019 - Tysons, United States
Duration: Apr 3 2019Apr 6 2019

Publication series

NameAEI 2019: Integrated Building Solutions - The National Agenda - Proceedings of the Architectural Engineering National Conference 2019

Conference

ConferenceArchitectural Engineering National Conference 2019: Integrated Building Solutions - The National Agenda, AEI 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityTysons
Period4/3/194/6/19

Keywords

  • Academic Achievement
  • Classrooms
  • Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Building and Construction
  • Architecture

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