THE IMPACT OF THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE

"The indoor environment quality is a key factor in people's lives, which directly affects their comfort, performance, health and well-being. The main factors that contribute to the indoor environmental quality are thermal comfort, air and lighting quality and acoustics. This study aims to extend the current knowledge on the impact of IEQ on students’ performance. Field measurements on environmental factors were performed in two similar classrooms, with the same number of students engaged in a written examination. Compliance of the indoor environmental parameters with the current standards regulations was performed. Students’ performance was quantified by their exam grades. The results of the field measurements show that, in both classrooms, the acoustics and air quality do not fulfil the standard regulations, especially in the case of carbon dioxide concentration which exceeds a lot the threshold limit of 1000 ppm. The outcomes of the study also reveal that in the classroom where the concentration of carbon dioxide is higher, the students scored lower grades, therefore we can conclude that indoor environmental quality has an impact on students’ performance."