There is a correlation between students’ performance and the height of the ceilings in exam rooms, according to recent research.
Although a room’s layout cannot make up for poor revision or make pupils smarter, it can have an impact on our capacity for focus and mental work.
The University of South Australia and Deakin University study’s authors contend that large, open spaces with tall ceilings hinder pupils’ ability to concentrate.
The same researchers identified a correlation between cognitive ability and perceived surroundings size in a prior study that used virtual reality and brain imaging technology.
This time, the group tested in an actual setting.
Isabella Bower, an environmental psychologist from the University of South Australia, says, “We wanted to apply our lab findings to a real-world dataset and see if being in a large space like a gymnasium while concentrating on an important task would result in poorer performance.”
The study compared exam results against expected results based on coursework by analyzing exam results from 15,400 students over eight years across three locations.
Even after controlling for other variables including age, gender, exam subject, time of year, and past exam experience, students in rooms with high ceilings performed worse than those in rooms with ordinary ceiling heights.
Nevertheless, it’s unclear if other environmental elements like temperature, humidity, or the number of students are at play or if the room’s actual size are the culprit.
“These spaces are often designed for purposes other than examinations, such as gymnasiums, exhibitions, events, and performances,” Bower explains.
“Large rooms with high ceilings seem to disadvantage students, and we need to understand what brain mechanisms are at play and whether this affects all students equally.”
These questions will be the focus of future investigation. Exams conducted in non-custom-built rooms may not offer students the best chance of success, as the setting clearly counts.
According to educational psychologist Jaclyn Broadbent of Deakin University, “examinations have been a key part of our education system for over 1,300 years, shaping students’ career paths and lives.” “It’s crucial to recognise the potential impact of the physical environment on student performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to succeed.”
