Improving concentration levels in schools has major benefits when it comes to educational outcomes for children, and classroom lighting can play a major role in helping to create a more positive learning environment.
The learning experience in schools and pupil outcomes are both improved when schoolchildren are given the opportunity to focus on the work they are doing. Reducing classroom distractions and encouraging participation in the lesson help to engage the interest of learners and create a more respectful learning environment.
When students can focus in a consistent way on the task at hand and the information being presented to them by the teacher, the way they consolidate memory from the lesson is improved.
When students can focus in a consistent way on the task at hand and the information being presented to them by the teacher, the way they consolidate memory from the lesson is improved.
Students who concentrate are more likely actively participate in class discussions, ask questions, and contribute to group activities. Discussing ideas helps to improve understanding and allow a topic to be explored in more detail.
When students can concentrate on a topic, they make fewer mistakes during tasks such as reading and problem solving, while a better ability to focus on a task lets students complete their work more quickly and improves overall academic achievement.
The needs of neurodivergent pupils must be met with the classroom lighting. Maintaining psychological safety can involve maximising the use of natural lighting, reducing the number of sources of lighting present and minimising glare that could be distracting or painful to students with additional needs.
Classroom lighting systems that can be adapted to the type of learning and task being undertaken during the day have a major impact on how pupils can concentrate.
A combination of natural light, coupled with controllable lighting can be used to ensure that the environment is suited to the task at hand. Natural light contributes to better overall health and wellbeing while also helping to support the natural circadian rhythms of the body. Supplementing natural daylight with adjustable LED luminaires helps to add flexibility to the classroom.
Discomfort and eyestrain are key factors that can negatively affect pupil concentration, and as such, creating a lighting system that reduces glare is important.
Incorporating both ceiling and wall lighting into the classroom enables better control over the direction of light for different tasks, lighting from above with wall mounted lighting can help reduce the UGR (unified glare rating) in the space and improve comfort levels. When planning the lighting system for the classroom, optimal lighting levels for different areas can be modelled to ensure that appropriate cylindrical illuminance levels are used. Concentrating light into task areas while maintaining lower levels of illumination at eye level will allow students to concentrate on their work with less ambient distraction.
Brightness levels can be increased to improve illumination during work so that reading is easier and fewer mistakes are made. Lower lighting levels in the classroom can be selected when required, such as during presentations when attention should be targeted in a particular area.
In classrooms where screens are used, such as IT spaces, anti-glare lighting diffusers help to spread light and reduce eye strain.
Prioritising natural light and maintaining appropriate brightness levels in the classroom create a more optimal learning environment. Find out more about how classroom lighting can aid pupil concentration and improve learning outcomes in your school. Contact us today.
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