Daylight and School Performance in European Schoolchildren

Ramen Munir Baloch, Cara Nichole Maesano, Jens Christoffersen, Corinne Mandin, Eva Csobod, Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes, Isabella Annesi-Maesano and on behalf of the SINPHONIE Consortium
Additional contact information
Ramen Munir Baloch: Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases (EPAR) Department, Saint-Antoine Medical School, INSERM, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health (IPLESP UMRS 1136), Sorbonne Université, 27 Rue de Chaligny, CEDEX 12, 75571 Paris, France
Cara Nichole Maesano: Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases (EPAR) Department, Saint-Antoine Medical School, INSERM, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health (IPLESP UMRS 1136), Sorbonne Université, 27 Rue de Chaligny, CEDEX 12, 75571 Paris, France
Jens Christoffersen: Velux A/S, Ådalsvej 99, DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
Corinne Mandin: Scientific and Technical Centre for Building, University Paris Est, 77447 Marne-la-Vallée, France
Eva Csobod: Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), 9–11 Ady Endre ut, 2000 Szentendre, Hungary
Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes: Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management (INEGI), 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Isabella Annesi-Maesano: Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases (EPAR) Department, Saint-Antoine Medical School, INSERM, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health (IPLESP UMRS 1136), Sorbonne Université, 27 Rue de Chaligny, CEDEX 12, 75571 Paris, France
on behalf of the SINPHONIE Consortium: SINPHONIE Consortium are listed in Acknowledgments.

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Aims and objectives: Lighting constitutes a critical issue in school design because of its importance as a strong enabler of performance, which is crucial for child development. However, data on light impacts on school performance are scarce. The main objective of this study was to assess the relationship between daylighting conditions in classrooms and mathematical and logical test scores. Methods: The population-based SINPHONIE (Schools Indoor Pollution and Heath: Observatory Network in Europe) study provides information on relationships between lighting conditions and school performance for 2670 elementary schoolchildren, aged 8–13 years from 155 classrooms in 53 schools across 12 European countries. These data were acquired through direct physical assessments and questionnaires completed by teachers, schoolchildren, and their parents, allowing for estimations of multiple objective daylight indicators, as well as subjective parameters such as the perception of lighting. Schoolchildren performed an attention/concentration exam that included simple mathematical exercises in addition to a logical ciphering test. The corresponding performance scores were compared against multiple daylighting parameters. Results: A positive relationship was found between performance scores and type of window shading, latitude, percentage of window facing south, and window glazing, with the highest impact due to the window-to-floor area ratio. Conclusion: Data collected in the SINPHONIE study across 12 European countries indicate that daylighting parameters are relevant to schoolchildren’s performance. As SINPHONIE was not designed specifically with lighting in mind, dedicated studies covering a wide range of classroom configurations would be enlightening.

Keywords: illuminance; natural light; indoor air quality; schools; performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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