Visste du att ljus är en faktor som påverkar både lärande och den psykologiska utvecklingen hos skolbarn? Rätt sorts ljus kan öka prestationsförmågan i läsning, skrivning och matematik, och dämpa rastlöshet och aggression.

Vi har nu omfattande vetenskapliga bevis för effekterna som ljus har på människor. Till exempel är ljus direkt kopplat till vår dygnsrytm.

Denna rytm anpassar våra kroppar till en 24-timmarscykel av ljus och mörker. Ljus reglerar sådant som vårt sömnmönster, kroppstemperatur och nivåer av stresshormoner Dagsljuset är med andra ord avgörande för att säkerställa att vår dygnsrytm fungerar som den ska.

SINTEF har nyligen avslutat ett projekt för att sammanställa alla befintliga forskningsrön inom detta område. Resultatet är en uppsättning helt nya riktlinjer för hur belysning i skolbyggnader ska utformas.

"Eftersom ljus påverkar elever i olika områden är det viktigt att forska mer om exakt hur ljus kan användas i norska skolor", säger SINTEF-forskaren Claudia Moscoso. "Väl upplysta inlärningsplatser kan stödja utbildning och främja god fysisk och psykisk utveckling bland skolelever", säger hon.

Ljusförhållanden är mycket viktiga för barn i skolan som tillbringar mycket av sin tid inomhus. Det påverkar deras vakenhet, kognitiva färdigheter och nivåer av stresshormonet kortisol. Dessutom är förhållandena i Skandinavien sådana att deras exponering för blått ljus på morgonen minskar under de långa vintermånaderna. Detta ljus är viktigt för att aktivera våra biologiska klockor.

Stora fönster leder till bättre provresultat

Till exempel fann en brittisk studie som genomfördes 2015 (HEAD-projektet), som samlade in data från 3 766 skolbarn i Storbritannien, att väldesignade grundskolor tjänade till att öka elevernas akademiska prestationer i läsning, skrivning och matematik. Ett fynd av särskilt intresse var att 16 procent av variationen i lärandeutveckling under en ettårsperiod kunde förklaras av klassrummets fysiska utformning.

Dessa resultat visade tydligt att ljus var den faktor som hade störst effekt (21 procent), medan luftkvalitet (16 procent) och temperatur (12 procent) också hade stor inverkan. Dessa tre faktorer var alltså ansvariga för nästan hälften av effekten på lärandeutveckling.

En annan vetenskaplig studie fann att klassrum med stora fönster var förknippade med mellan 15 och 23 procent av förbättringen av elevernas provresultat. It also showed that adequate and stable daylight conditions throughout the year boosted academic skills by between 20 and 26 percent, compared with classrooms with low levels of daylight.

Does adequate lighting promote less absenteeism?

A third study found that classrooms with adequate access to daylight and sunlight were associated with less pupil absenteeism and improved academic skills. On the other hand, classrooms with inadequate lighting design can restrict pupils' ability to learn. This is because low levels of lighting can impact on a child's visual system and thus restrict access to visual information and suppress learning ability.

In fact, the difference between classrooms with windows (providing adequate daylight conditions) and those without has been found to influence cortisol levels in children, which in turn are associated with pupils' psychological health and levels of concentration in the classroom. Another major research project , which used data taken from 2,837 schoolchildren aged from eight to 12, found that pupils working in classrooms with large windows exhibited better academic skills compared with those in classrooms with less window area.

In the case of artificial light, research studies have found that variable levels of lighting (i.e. Illumination that varies both in strength and color temperature) serve to boost academic skills in reading speed and comprehension. For example, skills in reading aloud were increased for 38 percent of pupils working under variable lighting conditions, compared with only 18 percent for those under normal white light.

It has also been found that blue-enriched white light reduces restlessness and aggressive behavior among schoolchildren compared with standard white light.

Many variables

Even though minimum lighting requirements have been stipulated for Norwegian schools, these do not in fact guarantee adequate lighting quality in any given school space. For example, the requirements linked to daylight, such as daylight factor (DF), describe an average value for overcast weather.

"If a classroom only succeeds in achieving the minimum requirement of 2 percent DF as set out in the Norwegian statutory building regulations (TEK17), or the Lyskultur recommendation of 5 percent DF, the same classroom may still encounter issues with glare or overheating under clear skies," explains Moscoso.

Moreover, the requirements for artificial light offer inadequate information about the color temperature of the light source. In fact, research has shown that the color temperature of a light source impacts on both the behavior and psychological and mental states of pupils.

So, in order to carry out a comprehensive assessment of lighting conditions in schools, we have to analyze other parameters. For example, classrooms should be monitored to identify issues linked to glare. We should be noting the colors of surfaces and assessing whether the pupils' visual environment is good enough to provide them with mental and visual "relief."

Linked to architecture

Classrooms and group rooms are among the most important learning spaces in any school.

"This makes it very important to evaluate the floor plans and physical design of such spaces," explains Moscoso. "For example, we must look at daylight openings (windows and skylights, if any) and their design, the types of glass, installation angles, as well as the accessibility of sun-screening or daylighting systems," she says.

The aim of daylighting systems is to make better use of daylight, for example by allowing it to penetrate deeper into a space, or by distributing the light more evenly. Even if these factors have already been considered during the design phase, it is also common to retrofit them in existing buildings.

"It's also beneficial to focus on the arrangement of furniture in a space, the color and reflectivity of surfaces, and the location of whiteboards and suchlike. This can provide us with important input during our analyses of light distribution, contrasts and factors that can cause glare," says Moscoso.

Improving light conditions

The researchers have now attempted to identify a suitable method that incorporates the most important factors that should be assessed in the search for a well-lit classroom. Their literature review offers an evaluation of the most important aspects of lighting in school spaces and the methods that can be used to record light conditions in our schools.

"This information can be used in the future either to evaluate and improve existing light conditions in schools, or serve as a set of recommendations during the planning of new schools designed to support learning and well-being," says Moscoso. + Utforska vidare

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