Research on Green Schools and Student Performance

Research on Green Schools and Student Performance

Glen I. Earthman
Copyright: © 2015 |Pages: 15
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6312-1.ch004
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Abstract

Research on the possible influence green schools have upon student and teacher health, performance, and attitudes has been a recent endeavor of scholars. This is because green schools are a recent development. Considerable research on the economic and environmental benefits green schools produce has been completed. However, there has been little research conducted using certified green schools because of the paucity of certified green schools. The National Research Council of the National Academies of Science enlisted a group of scholars to investigate the possible relationship between green schools and student achievement. The committee had difficulty finding any research available that addressed the topic. Since the efforts of the committee, more certified green schools were built, and limited research has been conducted. The findings from these research studies have produced mixed results. This chapter deals only with that portion of available research that deals with the relationship between green schools and student achievement. Because of this, suggestions for further research are given.
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Green Schools Research Committee

In 2005, the National Research Council (NRC), through the Board on Infrastructure and Constructed Environment (BICE) appointed a committee of researchers and scholars to “review, assess, and synthesize the results of available studies on green schools and determine the theoretical and methodological basis for the effects of green schools on student learning and teacher productivity.” (National Research Council, 2007, p.1)

The result of this request was a funded study of the available research on Green Schools and the influence these buildings have upon student and teacher health and productivity. A group of 14 individuals from a number of different universities and research organizations was enlisted to complete the work of the study, which required 15 months to accomplish. The members of the committee represented a variety of academic disciplines. The disciplines involved ranged from public health, epidemiology, building materials, acoustical and lighting engineering, ventilation, pediatrics, acoustics, education, architecture, to medicine. Each of these individuals was considered an expert in their own field of study, having contributed to the knowledge base of their discipline through publications and presentations.

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