THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 1

The Physical Classroom Environment and its Effects on Students

Kelli Langford

Eastern Oregon University





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THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 2
Chapter One - Nature of the Study

Classrooms everywhere are different. They have different seating arrangements, are

painted a different color, different shapes and sizes, and have different materials. How do all of

these different environmental variables affect the classroom learning environment? The physical

classroom environment is dependent on environmental variables, which are the tangible

variables, those variables then have an effect on students within that classroom (Roskos &

Neuman, 2010). There are steps that teachers can take to help influence the best possible learning

environment for their students.

Environmental variables are within every classroom, some variables affect students

positively and some negatively. Most environmental variables can be controlled by the teacher

because they are tangible, however, most teachers are unaware of how to control these variables

or that they even exist within their classroom. If teachers are not made aware of these variables

their classrooms may not provide the best possible learning environment for students (Jensen,

2005). Students who remain in a learning environment that is not conducive to enhancing

education could face negative effects in their learning such as: grades, motivation, and

attendance (Cheryan, Ziegler, Plaut, & Meltzoff, 2014; Woolner, Hall, Higgins, McCaugey, &

Wall, 2007; Cash & Twiford, 2010).

Statement of Research Problem

Issue to be examined. Environmental variables affect the physical classroom

environment and students nationwide. The first variable researched was furniture arrangement,

there were three types of seating that were researched: rows, cluster, and horseshoe. Simmons,

Carpenter, Crenshaw, & Hinton (2015), and Hill & Epps (2010), found that seating arrangement
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 3
within the classroom needs to vary depending on the activities of that day or week, one seating

arrangement was not better than the others. There were two types of lighting researched by

Warner & Myers (2010) and Cheryan, Ziegler, Plaut, & Meltzoff (2014), natural and artificial. It

was found that the best lighting option within a classroom was a combination of both natural and

artificial. Wall color research conducted by Woolner, Hall, Higgins, McCaugey, & Wall (2007),

found that stimulating colors such as reds were best used on walls where students face and

calming colors such as blues used on walls that teachers face. Cheryan et al. (2014), found that

strategic placing of decorations (posters and bulletin boards) have positive effects on students.

Cash and Twiford (2010) found that classroom cleanliness affected student performance and

teacher effectiveness due to both being within the classroom on a daily basis. Cheryan et al. also

found that students learn the best within the temperature ranges of 68-74, when temperatures

reach outside that range students are likely not be as effective learners. Cheryan et al. (2014) and

Woolner et al. (2007) found that air quality and student attendance were linked, if the classroom

had poor air quality absenteeism was more prevalent. The classroom environment is what drives

social interaction amongst students and curiosity to learn. It also affects teachers and their

effectiveness, whether it is drawing student’s attention or exciting them about learning (Roskos

& Neuman, 2010). The large issue that needs to be studied is the effect of altering the

environmental variables within a classroom to enhance the students learning.

Research concerning altering environmental variables within the classroom does not have

concrete findings, only practical teacher suggestions. The reason for this is teacher preference,

school differences, and even different groups of students within the classroom (Jensen, 2005).

There are alterations that can be done to a classroom to enhance its environment, but it is

ultimately dependent on the teacher’s preferences and the school. The most common
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 4
environmental variables that have been researched are: furniture arrangements, lighting options,

wall color, wall décor, temperature, cleanliness, and air quality. Teachers need to decide which

variables are the most controllable and practical within their classrooms and enhance those

variables (Jensen, 2005).

How issue impacts research site. This issue is prevalent in the elementary school that I

teach in because of the school’s age and lack of classroom updating. The elementary school

building is dated and hasn’t been updated, there are physical aspects of the classroom that

haven’t been changed in twenty years. Aspects such as chalkboards instead of whiteboards, all

walls are the same color throughout the building, and worn pieces of furniture. Not all dated

schools have poor classroom environments but there is some updating that could be done to

enhance what the school and classrooms already have. This is also a relevant issue within my

school and classroom because it is an aspect of the classroom that I have never taken into

consideration before. As a classroom teacher I have always set up and decorated the classroom

for me and how I wanted and what was easy for me as the teacher. I should have been setting up

the classroom and decorating for the benefit of students.

I know that I am not the only teacher that thinks this way about classroom setup within

my school. Due to the old building and old classrooms, it has become a habit, even for

experienced teachers, to configure and decorate their rooms in a manner that is easy and pleasing

to them. I am hoping to be able to take this research and present it to my colleagues in an effort

to encourage physical classroom environments that promote positive learning for our students.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 5
Purpose of the Research

The purpose of this research is to alter the furniture arrangement, wall color and décor

based on research suggestions and assess its effect on student engagement in learning. This

research focuses on one classroom within a small rural school district where environmental

variables have not been altered for many years. The results of this research will help improve the

school district’s classroom environments and in turn improve student engagement. This research

will also help to educate current staff and administrators on environmental variables that could

be or are within their classrooms and how those variables influence their physical classroom

environment and student learning.

Research Questions

How did student engagement change after the alteration of the furniture arrangement,

wall color and décor?

What reactions and feelings did students have after the furniture arrangement, wall color

and décor in their classroom was changed?

Assumptions

I will assume that the alterations made to the environmental variables will affect some

students differently than others. Some students will really feel the impact of the changes while

others may not even notice the changes that are made. Also, some students may feel strongly

towards some alterations while others may not have any feelings towards the alterations. I will

also assume that my observations of student engagement could be different than other people and

educators. Observing my own class and students could cause me to be more lenient or harsh

while observing.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 6
Limitations

Data was collected from my own class, which consisted of 20 eight and nine year olds.

There was also a limited time frame to make the alterations within the classroom because this

research was conducted at the beginning of school and the beginning of Fall term. Also, a

majority of the supplies needed (paint, rollers, drop cloth, and classroom décor) came out of my

own personal money. This led me to be very specific on the variables that were altered.

Definitions

Environmental variable: An aspect of the classroom that can be touched, moved, controlled, or

manipulated. These types of variables include: furniture, displays, temperature, materials, etc…

Physical classroom environment: An environment influenced and driven by the tangible aspects

of the classroom, that then influence students and their learning.

THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 7
Chapter 2 - Literature Review

Dull, boring, or bland. Unfortunately, these words are being used to describe some

classrooms across our nation and even world (Cash & Twiford, 2010). Can sitting in a dull,

boring, or bland classroom provide students with the environment that they need to be

successful? There are steps that teachers can take to boost their classrooms physical environment

to help students succeed.

Environmental Variables within the Classroom

An abundance of variables exist within any classroom. This section will discuss the more

common environmental variables. Environmental variables within the classroom are things such

as seating arrangements, lighting, wall color, decorations and wall décor, cleanliness, air quality,

and temperature. Those variables help to determine the environment of classrooms. Teachers can

design their classrooms to promote positive environments. Roskos and Neuman (2010) found

that “It is the environment that informs and documents the social interactions that will go on

there, the encounters, friendships, and learning that will occur. It shapes how teachers and

students will feel, think, and behave, and its qualities can have a lasting effect on our lives” (p.

110).

Seating arrangements within classrooms can come in various shapes and sizes, horseshoe

patterns, rows, groups, or clusters. These arrangements are then based on the types of desks used

within the classroom, square, rectangle, or tables. Some classrooms may even have different

seating options rather than metal chairs. According to Roskos and Neuman (2010) “At a

minimum, the space should accommodate multiple configurations for large and small groups,

triads, pairs, and individuals to talk, listen, write, read, play, and learn”. Seating arrangements

can have many influences on students and how the classroom flows. Some influences can be
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 8
unknown to the teacher such as, having a student face a window in the classroom, directing that

students eyes away from the teacher and instruction. Classroom flow is important as well

because students and teachers need to be able to move throughout the classroom without causing

distraction or excess loss of time. Students need to be able to shift their attention and seating

easily (Roskos & Neuman, 2010).

Lighting within classrooms is sometimes a difficult variable to control, but there are steps

teachers can take to allow the best possible lighting within the classroom. Teachers can expose

students to as much natural lighting as possible (Woolner, Hall, Higgins, McCaugey, & Wall,

2007). With maximum exposure to natural lighting not always possible, teachers can mix natural

and artificial lighting (Roskos & Neuman, 2010). Artificial lighting has been linked to some

negative student behaviors and health issues (Woolner et al., 2007).

Wall color and wall décor within classrooms vary depending on each individual teacher

and the architecture of the school. Most classroom walls are forgotten about, even though they

are one of the biggest pieces of the room. Roskos and Neuman (2010) state, “No dimension of

the classroom environment is probably less acknowledged, used, and understood than its wall.

Walls are taken for granted (just like doors)” (p. 112). Teachers need to plan and organize what

is going to happen on the walls of their classrooms because they can become education tools for

students.

Cleanliness within the classroom is also related to organization. Just as employees do not

like working in a dirty workplace, students do not enjoy learning in a dirty space (Cash &

Twiford, 2010). Outside of cleanliness, there is another piece that can make even the most

disinfected classrooms look dirty: organization or lack thereof. “When materials are both artfully

and intentionally arranged, they incite and motivate students to engage productively…the messy,
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 9
cluttered, random organization of materials in the classroom environment does not” (Roskos &

Neuman, 2010). Teachers are the main force behind organization and every teacher will choose

to organize differently.

Temperature within the classroom can have a big impact on the environment, positively

and negatively. Temperature and student mood and motivation relate to each other, mood and

motivation then play a role in the classroom environment (Roskos & Neuman, 2010). Teachers

can attempt to modify airflow and temperatures within the classroom depending on the activities

planned for that day. Physical activities require cooler temperatures while quiet independent

activities require warmer temperatures. The more that students are up and moving in the

classroom the more heat they produce which then radiates throughout the classroom. When

students are working on individual quiet work they are not up and producing heat, so the room

will need to be warmer (Roskos & Neuman, 2010). Based on the age and structure of the school

airflow and temperature regulation could be difficult (Roskos & Neuman, 2010).

Air quality can affect the classroom environment, odorous classrooms do not appeal to

students (Woolner, Hall, Higgins, McCaughey, & Wall, 2007). Teachers can take proactive steps

to combat odors, such as using air fresheners or opening windows. Some plants also have air

purifying qualities and can double as an aesthetic element. Teachers can also limit the use of

toxic or gaseous cleaning products used within the classroom (Roskos & Neuman, 2010).

Improving the air quality and overall fragrance of the classroom can have positive effects on the

classroom environment (Woolner, Hall, Higgins, McCaugey, & Wall, 2007).

Environmental variables can and do affect the classroom environment. However, there

are steps that teachers can take to manipulate the environment into what it needs to be for that

particular class and teacher. Teachers can rearrange desks, allow or decrease lighting, use wall
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 10
space efficiently and effectively, keep the classroom clean and organized, adjust and monitor

classroom temperature, and work to keep the classroom air clean and freshened. Some of these

proactive classroom environmental variable steps may not be available to all teachers within the

classroom, but some of them will be. These steps and their effects on students and the classroom

environment will be further investigated and reported throughout this review.

Furniture arrangement. Students can spend upwards of eight hours at school each day,

transitioning from the classroom to other areas of the school. Seating arrangement within the

classroom can have effects on students’ behavior, learning style, and comfort within the

classroom (Simmons, Carpenter, Crenshaw, & Hinton, 2015; Hill & Epps, 2010). The types of

seating arrangements are dependent on the size of the classroom (Simmons et al., 2015). The

types of seating arrangements that are going to be explored are: row seating, cluster seating, and

horseshoe seating.

Row seating. Described by Simmons, et al., (2015) as desks arranged in vertical or horizontal

straight lines facing the area of the room where most instruction occurs. Row seating has shown

both positive and negative effects on classroom environment and student behavior. Hastings and

Schewiso (1995) found that row seating encouraged individual, on-task behavior from students.

Contradicting research from other studies, however, has found that row seating was not effective

in encouraging on-task behavior and accentuated off-task behavior, along with promoting

separation of teacher and student interactions within the classroom (Milne, 2006; Oblinger, 2006;

Rosenfield, P., Lambert, N. L., & Black, A., 1985).

Cluster seating. This type of seating arrangement is described by Simmons, et al., (2015) as

a group of four or more desks touching on any side. This seating arrangement is also referred to

as group seating. According to Simmons, et al., this arrangement of desks promotes collaborative
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 11
learning amongst students and throughout the classroom, as well as, off-task behaviors. Marx,

A., Fuhrer, U., & Hartig, T. (2000), observed cluster seating promoting an environment that

promoted positive student interaction due to proximity.

Horseshoe seating. This desk arrangement resembles a horseshoe or a “U”. Wengel (1992)

observed an increase in the amount of talking amongst students at inappropriate times, all the

while, increasing this seating arrangement boosted student engagement during the teacher’s

lesson. Student interaction between themselves and off-task communication are commonly seen

together due to the fact that student interaction is asking students to communicate with each

other. Not all interaction, every time, will be on-task. Wengel (1992) also found that student

participation increased with the use of this seating arrangement.

In order for teachers to promote an inclusive and accommodating classroom environment

they have to take seating arrangements into consideration (Raths, 2013). Seating arrangements

need to become an ever-changing aspect within the classroom (Simmons, et al., 2015).

According to several research studies, the classroom seating arrangement should be dependent

on the student’s activities throughout the day, if students are to work individually they need to be

in a seating arrangement that does not promote interaction with peers (Kauchak & Eggen, 2012;

Wannarka & Ruhl, 2008). The same concept applies to group activities, the seating arrangement

can promote facilitation between students. Student desks can be arranged to promote desired

behaviors or non-desirable behaviors.

Lighting. Lighting within the classroom refers to the type or types of sources to illuminate

the classroom, the most common lighting options are windows and overhead lights. According to

Woolner et al. (2007), headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue occur most often and are made worse by

inadequate lighting. Most lighting within schools today is fluorescent lighting, fluorescent lights
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 12
have been linked to student hyperactivity and agitation, which eliminates students’ productivity

and promotes a negative classroom environment (Warner & Myers, 2010).

With the two primary sources of lighting within classrooms being windows and

fluorescent lights, there is natural and artificial light present, which can be manipulated to create

the optimal lighting within the classroom. Research proves that students need to be exposed to

natural light (daylight) as much as possible, without over exposure. (Warner & Myers, 2010;

Cheryan, Ziegler, Plaut, & Meltzoff, 2014). Unfortunately, in most schools there is not enough

natural lighting to illuminate a classroom appropriately (Cash & Twiford, 2010). Cash and

Twiford suggest that controlled natural light (windows/doors with curtains or tint) and some

fluorescent or artificial lighting blended together enhances student performance and helps to

eliminate health issues related to lighting. They also found that incorporating and increasing

natural lighting within schools and classrooms did not increase construction or operating costs

within schools and districts.

Wall color. Classroom walls are some of the most forgotten about parts of the classroom.

The color of the walls provides aesthetic appeal to the classroom and anyone in it (Perks, Orr, &

Alomari, 2016; Woolner et al., 2007). The research for wall color is somewhat lacking, meaning

there is not a lot of research about this topic. Woolner et al., (2007) suggest that bright colors be

used for younger students, and more pale colors be used for older students. Warner and Myers

suggest appropriate colors for classrooms such as: light yellow-orange, beige, pale or light green,

or blue-green. These colors were not specific towards any age level of students. Cash and

Twiford (2010), suggest pastel colors over white walls. They also suggest a focal point be a

medium color such as: blue, brown, or green.

Even though color and age suggestions are not aligned, one thing is clear: there needs to
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 13
be color. Cash and Twiford (2010) state that color on the walls within classrooms can enhance

student motivations and academic performance. Warner and Myers also refer to the idea that

“loud colors cultivate loud ideas” (p. 30). Color is needed within the classroom, although it can

vary depending on teacher preference and student age.

Decorations and wall décor. Not all decorations and wall décor belong within a

classroom, some objects could have very negative effects on students on-task behavior, while

other objects could enhance students on-task behavior (Cheryan, Ziegler, Plaut, & Meltzoff,

2014). Symbolic objects placed strategically within the classroom can have positive influences

on students’ educational interests and choices, such as, a young male student finds a poster of a

male nurse within his classroom and that particular student was starting to have an interest within

the medical field (Cheryan et al., 2014). Teachers may never know what can influence their

students, whether it be a poster, video, or bulletin board within a classroom. Teachers need to

identify that when using decorations and wall décor to help educate students, teachers need to

explicitly teach students how to use the information within the decorations (word walls, math

formulas). If instructional décor is left without instructions it will most likely not get used

correctly or at all, the décor could turn into a distraction (Warner & Myers, 2010).

Cleanliness of the classroom. Classrooms have upwards of thirty students a day in and

out of them, students spend hours a day within the same classroom. Whether there are paper

scraps on the floor or mud from the students’ rain boots, classrooms get used hard and are

sometimes dirty. There have been some research connections between classroom cleanliness and

student performance. The Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 expressed concern about the

link between classroom cleanliness and students attitude towards the classroom (Cash &

Twiford, 2010). Cleanliness not only affects students but it also affects teachers and their
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 14
effectiveness within the classroom (Cash & Twiford, 2010). Similar to students, teachers’

performance and attitudes towards the classroom change with how clean the classroom is (Cash

& Twiford, 2010). Cleanliness is measured by clean floors or walls, trash on the floor, chipped

paint, and garbage taken out.

Temperature. Student’s brains and bodies are sensitive to temperature and temperature

change (Jensen, 2005). According to Cheryan et al. (2014), temperatures between 68 and 74

degrees Fahrenheit is the prime temperature for students to learn within a classroom. Cheryan et

al. (2014) noted that when temperatures reached below 68 or above 74 degrees, student

performance drops significantly. While the actual temperature within the classroom is important,

other research notes the importance of temperature control. Woolner et al. (2007) noted that

students found heating more important than air conditioning.

Air quality. Air quality impacts student learning which then impacts the classroom

environment. Low air quality and low student attendance are coupled together (Cheryan et al.,

2014). Further research on this area suggested that 9% of public schools have poor air quality,

and that air quality could be dependent on the school building (Cheryan et al., 2014). It has also

been found that lowering the particles within the air, which creates better air quality, can

positively affect student attendance (Woolner et al., 2007).

Effects of Intangible Variables on Students

The environmental variables that have been mentioned all pay a physical toll on students

such as illness and absenteeism (Cheryan et al., 2014; Woolner et al., 2007; Cash & Twiford,

2010). Unfortunately, student’s physical limitations brought on by the classroom’s environment

are not the only obstacle they will face. There are the intangible aspects: motivation, attendance,

and grades (Ediger, 2009; Sungur & Senler, 2010; Brock, Nishida, Chiong, Grimm, & Rimm-
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 15
Kauffman, 2007).

Motivation. There are million dollar questions in education, meaning, if someone can

answer that question it is worth a million dollars. For example, how can teachers motivate

students is a million-dollar question because the answer is always changing and is never the

same for any student (Dörnyei, 2007; Ediger, 2009). Motivation is what drives students to either

be successful or fail (Lee, Yin, & Zhang, 2009). There are steps that teachers can take to help

motivate all students to be successful. Ediger (2009) emphasizes the need to build community

within a classroom so that all students feel important and needed. When students feel needed and

important they are more likely to feel the need to achieve (Ediger, 2009). The classroom

environment must also encourage building positive and healthy relationships, which will also

help students feel important and valued (Ediger, 2009). Lastly, students personal achievements

within and outside of school need to be recognized and praised by the classroom community

(Ediger, 2009). Building community, building relationships, and praising students for personal

achievements will help motivate them to want to learn (Ediger, 2009, Patrick, Ryan, & Kaplan,

2007).

Attendance. Getting students to come to school plays right into motivation.

Unfortunately, attendance is an intangible variable for teachers because they cannot force

students to come to school. Attendance affects students’ academic growth and the classroom

environment (Ediger, 2009). When students are constantly absent it affects the classroom

environment because of the missing variable in the room. Furthermore, when students have

inconsistent attendance it affects the environment because there is an unpredictable variable

which could hinder the classroom routines. The best case scenario, especially for classroom

environment, is full attendance as much as possible (Brock et al., 2008). Even though attendance
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 16
is essentially out of the teachers’ control, there are some things that teachers can do to promote

attendance. They can change up their teaching style and try something new, promote attendance

as much as possible, and try and make school and the classroom a place where students want to

be (Brock et al., 2008).

Grades. Grades are the culmination of motivation and attendance, they are what the

students earn for working (or not) and for being present (or not) (Sungur & Senler, 2010). Grades

can be used as praise for students who need to see visually what hard work and attendance will

do for them academically, and also what it cannot do for them (Sungur & Senler, 2010). When

teachers create environments that draw students in and motivate them, students’ grades will show

that.

What Can the Teacher Do?

With environmental variables within the classroom and those variables affecting students

in both positive and negative ways, there are practical ways in which teachers can combat the

negative and enhance the positive (Jensen, 2005). Teachers need to evaluate their classroom and

school to determine which aspects are the most practical to enhance or change. All changes and

enhancements will be different depending on the teacher, school, and even classes (Jensen,

2005).

Furniture arrangements to use within classrooms. When teachers go to arrange

furniture within the classroom they first need to determine where heavy foot traffic will be

within the classroom, then design around that (Fisher, Frey, & Hite, 2016). Once traffic patterns

are determined it is best to keep those areas clear of clutter or objects for quick transitions within

the classroom (Fisher et al., 2016; Lim, O’Halloran, & Podlasov, 2012). When teachers go plan a

seating arrangement they need to take into consideration what types of activities the students will
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 17
be performing over the next week. The type of activities will determine the seating arrangement,

rows for independent work and clusters for group work (Jensen, 2005; Fisher et al., 2016).

Depending on the activity there could even be a combination of clusters and rows or even tables

and desks if that suits the class (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010). Several studies suggest that

classrooms have moveable chairs, this allows student mobility and flexibility throughout the

classroom seating arrangement (Cotner, Loper, Walker, & Brooks, 2013; Jensen, 2005). Students

can position themselves any way they choose with movable chairs, which allows for quick

transitions from independent work to group work (Cotner et al., 2013; Jensen, 2005). Another

key aspect of classroom furniture arrangement is proximity. Teachers need to take into

consideration the student proximity, the closer students are to the teacher the less behavior

teachers are likely to have (Archer & Hughes, 2011). Furniture arrangement is more than the

seating arrangement and what is convenient for the teacher. The arrangement of furniture and

how to classroom is set up can really benefit the teacher and the students (Jensen, 2005).

Lighting options. Headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue are common symptoms of poor

lighting (Woolner et al., 2007). Poor lighting consists of maximum exposure to artificial lighting,

under exposure to natural lighting (sunlight), or not enough lighting within the classroom (Cash

& Twiford, 2010). Artificial lighting will be ever present within classrooms, due to the fact that

natural lighting cannot be predictable (Jensen, 2005). Teachers can combat the health issues

associated with poor lighting in a cost effective ways: take learning outside when weather

permits, maintain a bright classroom using both artificial and natural lighting, adjustable window

blinds to allow natural light, and adjustable artificial light switches (Jensen, 2005; Cash &

Twiford, 2010; Woolner et al., 2007).

Calming colors or stimulating colors. Jensen (2005) suggest that there is little research
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 18
within this area of the classroom environment, but what little research there is all points to

influencing students. The use of cool and warm colors throughout the classroom will help

stimulate and calm students (Jensen, 2005). It is suggested to use warm yellows or light blues on

the walls, yellows where students face and blues where the teacher will face (Jensen, 2005). If

painting is not an option, it is suggested to place accents of the warm and cool colors within the

classroom, yellows where students face and blues where the teacher will face (Jensen, 2005).

Temperature. It is suggested to keep the classroom within the “comfort zone”, which is

between 68-72 degrees (Jensen, 2005). Sometimes maintaining the “comfort zone” within a

classroom is difficult or impossible due to the building structure, placement of classroom

(outside elements), or the availability of heating and cooling systems (Jensen, 2005, p. 84).

Jensen (2005), suggests some temperature control alternatives if it is out of the teacher’s hands:

● Use fans to circulate air.

● Try to keep the windows and doors of the classroom open.

● Use fans and a tray of water, have the fans blow across the tray of water to humidify or

potentially cool the room.

● If the classroom receives direct sunlight, allow students to move their desks to avoid the

hot spots within the room.

● Ask students to layer their clothing, which allows flexibility with the weather and room

temperature.

● Allow ample water breaks within the classroom or encourage students to have a filled

water bottle located at their desk.

Wall décor. Educational, lively, supportive, and attractive are the words teachers can use to

describe the walls within their classrooms. Classroom walls do not need to resemble the walls of
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 19
the students’ home, which are comfortable and soothing. They need to feel inspiring,

invigorating, and energetic (Jensen, 2005). Students can learn, become motivated, and inspired

from the walls that surround them, just as they learn from the teacher in front of them (Jensen,

2005; Cash & Twiford, 2010). Teachers can create walls that teach, motivate, and inspire by

displaying: students’ work, motivational posters, educational charts, prior learning, and future

learning (Cash & Twiford, 2010; Jensen, 2005; Rollins, 2017). Displaying student work, posters,

and charts is more than sticking a tack in the wall, it is about organizing what is displayed so

students know right where to look when they are in need of something (Jensen, 2005). This

includes bulletin boards dedicated to assignment requirements or exemplar student work from

previous years (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010). Wall organization is going to be different within

every classroom and for every teacher. Cash and Twiford suggest organizing walls based on

students’ needs and line of vision.

Cleaning routines. Classroom and school cleanliness affects the classroom environment

(Cash & Twiford, 2010). Cleanliness is a broad term, especially when discussing school

cleanliness. Students, parents, or any visitor to a school has to understand that there will be

everyday dirtiness within a school (Cash & Twiford, 2010). Schools can house hundreds of kids

with an age spread of 5-18. There will be students who miss the garbage can and don’t pick it up

or the playground could be muddy and they track it in on their shoes. Schools with janitors who

understand these types of messes will do periodic checks of hallways and public garbage cans to

try and combat the everyday dirtiness (Cash & Twiford, 2010). For teachers to try and combat

the everyday dirtiness Cash and Twiford suggest that teachers have multiple garbage cans within

the room to make throwing garbage away easy. They also suggest large rugs leading into the

school from outside to encourage students to scrape their feet before or after coming inside.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 20
Teachers can also have a five or ten-minute block at the end of the day for students to pick up the

room. This helps students take accountability for their classroom and to ensure that they will

come in the next morning to a clean classroom (Cash & Twiford, 2010). Another method

teachers can use to enhance classroom cleanliness is organization. Several studies refer to

classroom organization as of great importance to classroom cleanliness and teacher attention

(Guardino & Fullerton, 2010; Welsh, 2014). If the classroom is organized, then teachers mind

will be on instruction and building relationships with students instead of finding items or looking

at piles of unorganized materials (Guardino & Fullerton, 2010; Welsh, 2014).

Some school cleanliness is out of the teacher’s hands, a majority of that being outside

appearance. School appearance and cleanliness go hand in hand with each other. Curb appeal is

very important, which means regular yard maintenance, school visibility, and clear signs of

safety are present (Cash & Twiford, 2010). Cash and Twiford suggest trimming hedges around

the school to improve appearance and also school visibility. They also suggest putting up fences

around student play areas as safety features. Even though most of this work is not controlled by

teachers, they can offer ideas to janitors or administrators.

Air conditioning and heating. Teachers can have some effect on heating and air

conditioning, especially within their classroom. They can keep all vents and ducts clear of

objects so proper air flow is allowed throughout the classroom. If the school building is older and

does not have forced air heating or cooling, teachers can make sure heaters and air conditioners

within classrooms are cleaned regularly (Jensen, 2005). If air conditioners are not present within

classrooms teachers can clean their windows and window sills to allow outside air within the

classroom without polluting it with dust or other particles (Cash & Twiford, 2010). Teachers can

also advocate for new screens on windows or placing ceiling fans or fans within their classrooms
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 21
to create air flow (Jensen, 2005).

When dealing with a whole school’s heating and air conditioning system, teachers can

communicate with administrators, facility coordinators, and janitors. Teachers can communicate

about changing air filters and cleaning chiller bases of air conditioners (Cash & Twiford, 2010).

They can also communicate with other staff members about alternative ways to control the

temperature within classrooms, such as: fans, opening doors, room humidifiers, allowing flexible

seating if the classroom receives direct sunlight, and incorporating cool colors within the

classroom (blues and greens) (Jensen, 2005). Keeping up on schools heating and air conditioning

systems will not only extend the life of those systems but it will also improve the schools air

quality (Cash & Twiford, 2010).

Air quality. Students spend upwards of eight hours a day within a classroom during the

school year. Teachers need to be aware of air quality and how to maintain good air quality within

the classroom (Cash & Twiford, 2010). One cost effective way to improve air quality is to bring

live plants into the classroom. Plants such as aloe vera act as an air purifier while giving the

classroom an aesthetic feel (Cash & Twiford, 2010; Jensen, 2005). Not all plants are air purifiers,

but all plants produce oxygen. Cash and Twiford suggest having plants within the classroom

because it brings up the oxygen levels within the classroom. Another way to improve air quality

is to purchase an air purifier for the classroom (Jensen, 2005). Air quality also refers to aromas

within the classroom, there are pleasing and unpleasant aromas within a classroom (Jensen,

2005). Jensen cautions on using too strong of aromas within the classroom due to student

allergies but there needs to be a pleasant aroma. The use of aroma could vary from year to year

based on the students within the class, some will find the smell of baked goods pleasant, while

others will not. Aromas and scents could also be seasonal as long as students find them pleasant
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 22
and they do not infer with learning or student health (Jensen, 2005).

Conclusion

The physical classroom environment is more than arranging desks in a way that is

convenient for the teacher. It is also more than painting the walls a color the teacher likes,

hanging random posters to cover the blank walls in the classroom or, not hanging up student

work because it takes time. The physical classroom environment is where learning stems from.

This literature review has covered topics about how the physical classroom environment affects

student learning and how teachers can accommodate or change those variables to best suit their

students.

The environmental variables explored in this review were: furniture arrangement,

lighting, wall color, decorations and wall décor, cleanliness of the classroom, temperature, and

air quality. These variables were each individually reviewed and researched to find the most

successful uses within the classroom.

THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 23
Chapter Three – Methodology
This study was conducted as a case study of twenty third grade students, ranging from

ages eight to nine. Students reactions, emotions, and thoughts were collected on the altered

physical classroom environment. The students’ feedback was collected through student writing,

verbal comments, and teacher observations of students. All student data that was collected will

remain anonymous. Student writing responses were scanned and all observations and reactions

were noted and transcribed. After the research was completed the findings were presented to the

school district’s elementary staff to encourage betterment of classroom environments.

Participants and Setting

The participants in this study were all third grade students who attend a rural elementary

school in Eastern Oregon. Third grade students range in age from eight to nine years old. This

group of students was not specifically selected based on any criteria, they just happen to be

within my class while I completed this research.

The rural elementary school in which this study takes places has a population of 552. A

unique characteristic about this school is that it is a charter school, where students are bussed in

from other rural districts. The school district has a fairly high socio economic status, free and

reduced lunch within the 2016-2017 school year was 43 percent. Ethnicity of this community is

primarily Caucasian families, who either farm or travel to a neighboring community for work. I

chose to conduct this research within my own classroom, I am switching classrooms and grades

and took this opportunity to try and better my new classroom based on research.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 24
Human Subjects Protection

Written permission to conduct this research was obtained from all students’ parents.

Parents were informed of all physical classroom environment changes that have occurred and the

responses were collected from their students, how those responses were handled, and what were

done with their responses. All students remained anonymous by not naming their responses and I

have transcribed all student observations and reactions to keep all sensitive information private.

All data has been stored on my computer and in a separate notebook stored in my teacher work

bag. I also obtained permission to conduct this research from the school district (via written

consent from the superintendent) and from the Institutional Research Board of Eastern Oregon

University.

Procedures

Data collection. Any aspect that has been changed within the classroom has been

analyzed by students using a quick write format. I provided the students with a prompt about the

classroom or any changes that have occurred. Their writing has been collected, scanned, and

stored on my computer for analysis. I have also conducted informal observations and journaling

about what I saw and heard after a change had been made. Aspects of the classroom were altered

on a weekly basis starting from the second week of school. All changes were completed by the

end of October.

The first week of school the students experienced a “bare” classroom, walls are all cream

colored, no bulletin boards were decorated, and desks were in groups of three. Students were

asked to complete a quick write using this prompt, “How does this classroom make you feel?”.

At the beginning of the second week students experienced a color change on the walls and a new
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 25
seating arrangement. Grey on the back wall and side walls, and light yellow on the front wall

where students face. Students were asked to complete a quick write using this prompt, “How do

the new wall colors and seating arrangement make you feel about our classroom?”. The third

and fourth week no changes were made to the classroom due to schedules. The fifth week the

bulletin boards were decorated and students completed a quick write using this prompt, “How do

you feel about the bulletin boards?”. In the weeks following the students’ desks were arranged in

different seating arrangements, rows, groups, and horseshoe patterns. Students desks were also

arranged in combinations of the three mentioned arrangements. Whenever there was a new

seating arrangement students were asked to complete a quick write using this prompt, “How do

you feel about the seating arrangement and why do you feel that way?”.

Data analysis. After all quick writes were scanned and stored electronically they were

analyzed and coded with common themes. The journaling of observations and students’ verbal

reactions and opinions have been transcribed, analyzed, and coded with common themes using

the procedures described in Qualitative Research in Education A user’s Guide by Marilyn

Lichtman (2013). This analysis has been used to help determine what aspect changes had the

biggest impact on students and how they felt about the changes. The analysis of the transcribed

journaling has been used to gauge students’ engagement after changes occurred.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 26
Chapter 4 – Finding of the Study

The purpose of this research was to find what physical classroom alterations could be

done to positively affect student engagement and learning. Two research questions were

developed and researched further to identify the best alterations: 1) How did student engagement

change after the alteration of the furniture arrangement, wall color and décor? 2) What reactions

and feelings did students have after the furniture arrangement, wall color and décor in their

classroom was changed?

How did student engagement change after the alteration of the furniture

arrangement, wall color and décor?

The first week of school students experienced an “empty” classroom, bare walls that were

a cream color, bulletin boards covered with only paper, and desks in clusters of three. When

students experienced the classroom for the first time I observed that they were very excited about

their desks and which students they were sitting by. Comments I documented were “Wow! This

is my desk? I can put all of my stuff right here?” and “Look I get to sit by (student’s name)!”. I

observed student engagement during this week while students were in this seating arrangement

and observed that my very social students were very engaged while in this seating arrangement

and my students who were not as social seemed distracted, and not eager to learn. Some students

thrived in this seating arrangement and some did not.

THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 27

Figure 1. Experiencing the bare classroom and cluster seating. The

south side of the classroom (front wall).

Figure 2. Experiencing the bare classroom and cluster seating. The

west side of the classroom (right hand side).
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 28

Figure 3. Experiencing the bare classroom and cluster seating. The east
side of the classroom (left hand side).

Figure 4. Experiencing the bare classroom and cluster seating. The

north side of the classroom (back wall).
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 29
The second week of school, the students got to experience the wall color change and a

new seating arrangement change. The front wall of the classroom was painted a light yellow and

the right, left, and back walls were painted a light grey. The seating arrangement was a horseshoe

shape, three rows of desks touching sides in a “u” shape and two rows in the middle in straight

lines.

Figure 5. Experiencing the wall color change. The front of the

classroom, the light yellow.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 30

Figure 6. Experiencing the wall color change. The back of the

classroom, the light grey.

Figure 7. Experiencing the wall color change. The right side of the
classroom, the light grey.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 31

Figure 8. Experiencing the wall color change. The left side of the
classroom, the light grey.

What I observed from students as they walked into the classroom to experience the

changes was that they were drawn more towards the seating arrangement change than the wall

color change. Also, while observing students within this seating arrangement I noticed that this

arrangement encouraged a lot of communication between students next to each other and across

the room. Some comments made by students were “It’s like a maze in here!” and “It looks so

different.”. I had one student comment on the wall color change “Oh you painted! I like it.” I

also had one parent comment on the wall color “Hey, that yellow looks like the same color that is

in your room.” One of the staff members who pushes into my classroom during math commented

“It looks so clean in here with the new paint.”.

The next change to occur was the decoration of bulletin boards, this change occurred two
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 32
weeks after the wall color change. I added student work to two of the biggest bulletin boards in

the room and created reference and interactive boards with the bulletin boards on the closet

doors.

Figure 9. Experiencing the bulletin board change. The front of the

classroom, student work.

Figure 10. Experiencing the bulletin

board change. Closet door.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 33

Figure 11. Experiencing the bulletin

board change. Closet door.

Figure 12. Experiencing the bulletin

board change. Closet door.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 34

Figure 13. Experiencing the bulletin

board change. Closet door.

Figure 14. Experiencing the bulletin board change. The right side of
the classroom, student work.

I observed students as they experienced the bulletin board change, I was not able to

gather any comments made by students or observe any engagement change in the students. The

teacher that pushes into my classroom noticed and made the comment of “Your bulletin boards

look really good! They add a lot more color to the room and make the students work stand out.”
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 35
The next week the desks were arranged in traditional rows, every student had their own space.

Figure 15. Experiencing seating arrangement change. Traditional rows.

I observed students come into the classroom and look around at the different seating

arrangement, find where their desk was and have a seat. I had one student make a comment

“When are we going to write about how we feel about the seating arrangement?”. Another

observation made while the students were in traditional rows was that some students really

thrived, they were engaged, and not as chatty. While other students became more quiet and not

as involved with the classroom.

The next seating arrangement that the students experienced were groups of two in rows.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 36

Figure 16. Experiencing seating arrangement change. Groups of two in

rows.

Figure 17. Experiencing seating arrangement change. Groups of two in

rows.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 37

This seating arrangement was a combination of clusters and rows, while moving the

desks I took into consideration where students needed and wanted to be placed within the

classroom. Again, as I observed students come into the classroom to experience a new seating

arrangement there were no verbal comments made. The students came in, looked around, found

their desk and moved on with the day. I did have two students ask me if they could write down

how they felt about their seating arrangement and who they sat by on a sticky note so they

wouldn’t forget. With this combination seating arrangement I was able to bring in more social

interaction with two students sharing the same space but still keep the attention at the front of the

room. I saw more students engaged within the classroom (raising their hands to participate,

communicating with their neighbor), but my very socially dependent students were still not as

engaged (always turning around to look at other students).

The last seating arrangement was a combination of clusters, horseshoe, and rows. I had

row seating in the front of my classroom, three clusters of three desks in the middle of my

classroom, and a straight line of desks along the back of the room.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 38

Figure 18. Experiencing seating arrangement change. Combination of

rows, clusters, and horseshoe.

Figure 19. Experiencing seating arrangement change. Combination of

rows, clusters, and horseshoe.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 39
With this seating arrangement I strategically placed students where I thought they needed

to be based off of classroom interaction, attention, focus, engagement, and their writing about

other seating arrangements. In the front row I placed students who needed their own work space

based on academics and classroom engagement and students who wanted their own space. In the

middle clusters of three I placed students who were very social and worked really well in groups.

In the back straight line I placed students who are social but like to face forward and see the

board and could use some help with working in groups. I observed similar actions and behaviors

from the students, no comments were made, they came into the room and found their new spot

and went on with the day. I observed students become very engaged within the classroom, I had

very few classroom behaviors to manage. Another observation I made was that not one student

asked about when our seating arrangement was going to change or if they could write about how

they felt.

The data gathered through teacher observation and collection of verbal comments made

by students about the wall décor, color, and seating arrangements shows that my third grade

students adapted to constant change within their classroom. The data shows this by the lack of

student verbal comments as the changes continued to occur. There wasn’t any noticeable change

in student engagement when wall color was changed or when décor was put up. The only

changes that affected student engagement were seating arrangement.

What reactions and feelings did students have after the furniture arrangement, wall

color and décor in their classroom was changed?

After every change that was made within the classroom, students wrote about how they

felt about the change that occurred and why they felt that way. I took all of the students writing

and sorted them into common themes, there were five common themes and one inconclusive
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 40
theme. The five common themes are: social environment, classroom accessibility, decorations,

wall color, and academics.

Within the social environment themed writing there were 27 writing responses that

focused on visibility of friends, proximity to friends, and social work. Nine of the responses

focused specifically on visibility of friends and proximity of friends. The other 18 responses

focused on partner work and the enjoyment of sitting by someone to either ask them for help or

just the companionship of sitting by someone.

The classroom accessibility theme had 18 writing responses that focused on front of the

room visibility/teacher visibility, proximity to classroom features, and organization of the room.

Ten of the responses focused on room and teacher visibility, specifically “being able to see the

board” was a common topic. Seven responses focused on proximity to classroom features, being

close to the closets and door. There was one response on the classroom organization and ease of

getting supplies.

Decorations was the next writing response theme examined, there were 13 writing

responses that focused on either the cloth banners in the classroom, art projects the students

completed, or the use of the word decorations. Seven of the responses were focused on the

student’s art projects that they had completed and that they students could see them. Four

responses focused on decorations and that the student liked the decorations or would like to see

more decorations. Two responses focused on noticing and “liking” the cloth banners that were

hung up in the classroom after painting the classroom.

The next theme was wall color, this theme had 11 writing responses that focused on the

wall color of the classroom. There were three students who liked the wall color before I painted,

one explicitly stated that it “helped them concentrate better”. Four students stated after painting
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 41
the walls, that “they like the color” or “feel good about the color change”. Another three students

talk about how the color change makes the room bright and makes them feel happy and joyful.

There was one writing response after painting the walls that stated “the room could use more

paint you know.”.

There were five writing responses that focused on academics. Four of them were from the

very first writing response and focused on “like the classroom because we learn in it”, or “I like

the classroom because we do math”, or “I wish there were more horse books in the classroom”.

One of the writing responses was from the very last prompt after all changes had been complete

and it stated “I feel good because it has a bunch of math in it and I love math”.

I had to create an inconclusive writing theme because there were writing responses that I

could not read or were too generic. There were 17 writing responses within this theme, eight

responses were not able to be deciphered, and nine responses were either very generic “I like it”,

or “It’s kinda 50/50”, or either did not mention any specifics “It’s beautiful”, “It looks cool”, or

“My teacher is nice”.

Based on the number of responses after data collection and organization, students wrote

more about how they felt the changes affected their social environment and classroom

accessibility. Also, based on the number of writing responses the biggest change that affected

their social environment and classroom accessibility was seating arrangement.

THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 42
Chapter 5 – Discussion and Recommendations

The purpose of this research was to find what physical classroom alterations could be

done to positively affect student engagement and learning. Two research questions were

developed and researched further to identify the best alterations: 1) How did student engagement

change after the alteration of the furniture arrangement, wall color and décor? 2) What reactions

and feelings did students have after the furniture arrangement, wall color and décor in their

classroom was changed?

Discussion

This research has been an eye-opening experience for me, which is why I am glad that I

chose to research this area in education. It has always been something that has intrigued me but I

have never gotten the opportunity to study it until now. One of the biggest surprises during this

research project was the lack of student vocalization of changes when they occurred. As stated in

chapter four, there was some vocalization but not a lot, and as the research progressed over the

next few months there was none. The lack of vocalization could have had something to do with

the research methods that were chosen. The students knew that they would be writing about the

changes so they internalized them until they got to write about it.

Another aspect of this research that I found astonishing was how important the social

environment is for students and how much it impacted them during this research. I went into this

research thinking that the wall color change and decorations would have impacted the students

more than where their desk was and who they sat by or near in the classroom. It was also very

intriguing to get to alter the desk arrangement based on student writing. I got to observe student

negative behavior decrease with a simple arrangement of desks.

The methods used in this case study were student writing and teacher observation. Both
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 43
of these methods proved to be very beneficial, although, after reading and sorting student writing

I believe I could have gotten more information from the students had there been a more

structured writing response. There should have been a detailed questionnaire for the students,

rather than a free write. Although, the students did great with the free writes, towards the end of

the study they could not wait to write about some of the changes. They were very willing and

eager to share what they thought about what was changing. The students started to feel really

empowered that their voices were being heard and changes were being made around those

voices.

The setting of this case study was an ideal setting, the classroom was a completely blank

canvas. Moving classrooms at the beginning of the year gave me an opportunity to start fresh in a

space I was not comfortable or familiar with. This allowed me to not have any preconceived

notions about the room and what I already liked or thought I liked about it.

The seating arrangement that proved to be the best for this group of third grade students

was the combination of all three seating arrangements, rows, clusters, and horseshoe. I was able

to support both sides of the argument for all three types of seating research, because there was

not one arrangement that worked really well with the class. The research that my research

supports the most, when it comes to seating arrangement is Simmons, et al., 2015, seating

arrangements need to become an ever-changing aspect within the classroom.

As for wall color, there has been little research conducted and a majority of the research

came down teacher preference. I based my color choice off of Warner and Myers (2010)

suggestion of appropriate colors for classrooms: light yellow-orange, beige, pale or light green,

or blue-green. I chose a light yellow and light grey, light yellow where the students face and a

light grey where the teacher faces. My results did not support or refute Warner and Myers color
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 44
suggestions. Some students were affected very little by the color change and others were not

affected at all, I can see why there is not a lot of research on this topic. The adults were the most

affected by the color change, myself included, which is most likely why the research on this

topic came down to teacher preference.

The primary focus of decorations wall décor was bulletin boards and student work. My

research definitely supported the ideas of Warner and Myers (2010), when instructional bulletin

boards were put up with instruction by the teacher, students and teacher both use them but when

there is a bulletin board just for decoration the students don’t really pay attention to it unless

their work is on it. Another research idea that my research supported was putting influential

posters at eye level with students. My research varied from that research because I put student

work at eye-level not influential posters. This idea came from research from Cheryan et al.,

2014, most of the student writing about decorations, the students talk about their own work that

they can see. It was more commonly seen that my research results supported the research that I

had conducted prior to conducting my own case study.

What I have learned from this case study that I have conducted is that the physical

classroom needs to be set up in a way that benefits both the teacher and students. Another way

that this case study can benefit the teacher profession as a whole is that setting up the classroom

environment based on student feedback is helping students meet needs. When student’s needs are

met school becomes a safe place and when students feel safe, they learn. One of the greatest

take-aways from my research that I will share with my colleagues is that there is not a one-size

fits all desk arrangement and that teachers need to include students in the decision making about

desk arrangement.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 45
Recommendations

The most successful part of this case study was being able to find out what physical

classroom environment variables have the biggest influence on third grade students. I found that

seating arrangement affects third grade students more than wall color and décor. I was also able

to find a seating arrangement to best serve my students through their writing responses.

If I were to conduct this case study again I would pick one aspect of the physical

classroom environment and study that aspect thoroughly. Instead of trying to study three aspects

simultaneously, I found that there was a lot more that could have been studied had I focused my

research on one aspect. I also would have liked to have more structured responses from students

and I think I could have achieved that had I had students fill out a questionnaire instead of free

writing. After conducting this case study, I discovered two questions that I would have like to

research further: How does age and brain development affect the way students process change?

And, if age and brain development affect the way students process change, what aspects are

appropriate to change for specific age groups? Linking brain development and processing change

to students could also help researchers develop more appropriate methods for collecting data.
THE PHYSICAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS 46

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