A review on methodological transitions in school lighting research from 1980 to 2020

Abstract

This literature review aims to identify and discuss research studies exploring lighting in school environments from 1980 to 2020. The article explores how methods and tools, attributed to various research fields, have been used in education-related studies. The review has shown a shift in focus related to light variables studied across the four decades, from daylight to electric lighting. Additionally, the methods used to evaluate and suggest new lighting shifted from participatory approaches to software simulations, resulting in a primarily mixed-method approach during the last decade (2010–2020). Lighting evaluations are at the forefront of research projects, followed by retrofit solutions and new design implementations. This approach reveals a gap in design processes to implement new lighting. The article discusses the importance of an interdisciplinary and mixed-method approach when working with educational environments, underlining lighting characteristics that require further study, and the importance of learning activities in connection to lighting.