Can plants help students pay attention in class?
Have you heard the term “biophilia” thrown around recently? It sounds fanciful. But the biophilia hypothesis, originally put forward by E.O. Wilson more than 30 years ago, is pretty down to earth. The idea is that we, a.k.a. humans, a.k.a. animals, have an innate desire to connect with the natural environment and with other forms of life.
Broadened since its initial form, the theory predicts that contact with nature helps us function better. One of the biggest predicted benefits of nature is that it is restorative — it helps us bounce back when we’re in poor shape — when we’re overly stressed, fatigued, unhealthy.
Evidence for this idea has been accumulating since a landmark study (which I hope to cover in more detail in the future) found that post-operative surgery patients in hospital rooms with a view of nature (vs. of a brick wall) recovered faster, had better spirits, and needed less painkiller medication.
In less extreme circumstances, natural environments can have a restorative effect on stress and enhance our positive emotions. And, interacting with nature (e.g., walking in nature or viewing nature images) can improve our ability to direct attention, which could otherwise become fatigued.
Because of these promising findings, researchers and designers are testing new ways of incorporating nature into buildings.
Schools have been a key target for these kinds of interventions. Why? Because learning is one of the most cognitively demanding things humans can do. And kids have to do it all. day. long.
They need all the attention support we can give them!
So, can students pay attention better and learn faster when there’s nature in their schoolyard or inside their classrooms?
There's evidence that students in schools that have more vegetation around them perform better on language and math tests. But there’s a weakness with these kinds of studies because they don’t experimentally assign students’ exposure to green space. There could be some other variable(s) accounting for the differences in test performance. What we need to test the effects of green space is a good old-fashioned RCT (randomized control trial) or A/B test (gotcha, they’re the same thing! But of course there’s a different term for it in the tech industry) in which students are randomly assigned to a green space condition.
In one such RCT, students were assigned to classrooms that either had or didn’t have green space views. Students assigned to classrooms that had views of green space performed better on tests of attention than students who didn't have these views.
That’s great! But, many schools, like those in cities, might not have any green space views. And outdoor green space isn't available all year round in much of the world.
So what about putting nature inside the classroom? A randomized control study tested the effects of putting green walls into elementary classrooms. Students in classrooms with a green wall performed better on a test of selective attention than students who didn't have access to a green wall. As an added benefit, the green wall improved what kids thought of their classroom. They were more likely to describe it positively, with descriptors like ‘nice’, ‘colorful’, ‘beautiful’ and ‘peaceful’.
Together, the research suggests that nature in or visible from classrooms can help students attend to what they're learning.
So, what can I do with this?
Are you designing a school or an environment for learning? You could try to position the classrooms to get a view outdoors, especially if green space is visible. Or, you could incorporate planters or a green wall into the interior design.
Are you a parent? You could set up your child’s homework station to have the best view in your home or bring some plants over.
Are you trying to learn something new and difficult? Get yourself to a calm spot with a view of nature, take a weekend learning getaway to the country, or, at the very least, get yourself a desk plant.