Modern, vibrant classrooms vs. sensory processing issues
Research shows that having a lot of stuff on the classroom walls helps students learn ... or does it?
When multiple objects are present in our surroundings, they end up competing for representation in the visual cortex of our brains. Think of a bunch of performers feverishly acting on a small stage for the attention of a theatergoer. From our audience perspective, fewer performers allows us to focus better and understand what’s going on. If you’re a teacher seeking to establish a balance between academics and ambience, consider these suggestions.
What Research Tells Us about Classroom Decor
I have colleagues at my school site who couldn’t differ more in their approach to classroom decoration. In some classrooms, doors, walls, and even ceiling are adorned with crafts, posters, mobiles, and brightly colored murals that correlate with various topics and themes studied throughout the school year. Elsewhere, classrooms are simple, spartan … even sterile. I have my own ideas about what’s best, given my own sensory processing issues, but what does the research actually say?
The commonly held belief is that the environment we work in impacts both our behavior and performance. Studies by environmental psychologists illustrate how color schemes, lighting, and even the appearance of the waitstaff in restaurants influence our dining habits.
Over the past decade, companies like Google, Facebook, and Pixar have pumped billions into designing workspaces for employees hoping to foster collaboration, creativity, and productivity.
Now there is a growing body of research about how the visual environment of a class impacts – and if we’re not careful hinders – students’ attention and learning. If we’re not cautious, our well-intentioned efforts to spruce up the classroom can devolve into visual noise, color variability, and decorations that distract learners and distort their ability to focus on academics.
As a parent and teacher, I’m cognizant of the vast number of digital distractions competing for young people’s attention and do my best to mitigate them. The same practice holds true for educators decorating classrooms.
Suggestion 1: Declutter
Each year, our school librarian orders new books to replace a number of well-worn, banged-up ones that are falling apart. Plus, she’s very in tune with what students are no longer interested in, what’s newly popular, and so forth. So, the older titles are put up for grabs for teachers to take and place in their classrooms.
Teachers are encouraged to snatch up as many of of these books and set forth to immerse our students in the joy of reading by creating a print rich environment. Some class walls get plastered with colorful book jackets. Piles of old novels are left everywhere for our students to grab.
I entered one of these highly decorated classroom a couple days ago and thought, ”How would I even focus with all of this!?!” What about the safety issue of a classroom having excessive coverage of the walls with flammable material? Fire hazard anyone? Decluttering classrooms reduce the visual noise (not to mention the combustibles).
Visual noise refers to both the quantity of displays / decorations and the general amount of physical clutter present in the learning space. To reduce the visual noise, teachers need to start by examining each item and decoration. Consider stowing away anything that doesn’t have a direct, daily impact on learning and teaching.
If you look at something and it’s not an immediate “yes – I need this,” put it in quarantine for a while. If it ends up not being used, toss it or find it another home. When making future classroom decoration decisions, follow the tried-and-true principle of moderation.
Suggestion 2: Choose Colors Carefully
We often have considerable control over our classroom color choices. That’s a good thing. Color is an essential part of our learning environment and can affect students’ emotions and their perception of our sense of community and educational purpose.
A multitude of opinions and loosely supported theories circulate among educators about which colors are the most inviting, calming, and conducive to learning. The reality, however, is that many people have a preference for certain colors due to their cultural background, geographical region, and past experiences.
Still, there is some education research that proves helpful about colors in the classroom. Studies in 2013, 2015, and 2022, all agree that moderate levels of color (and less visual stimulation in general) have a more positive impact on student attention and achievement.
The 2022 study gave us this money quote:
Results indicate on-task behavior was lower in classrooms containing greater quantities of visual noise and color variability, and in classrooms with either relatively small or large amounts of displays (controlling for observation session, school type, student gender, grade-level, and instructional format).
Thus, it’s not that classrooms need to be sterile. Experiment with color palettes. Exercise caution and moderation when decorating … even if the teacher next to us insists on transforming their entire classroom into a tropical rainforest.
The research
If you’ve been a regular reader, you know how I feel about the term “evidence-based.” As regards this topic, your administrators and senior colleagues will likely argue that the “evidence” supports creating what amounts to a sensory overload in classrooms. Thus, you’ll want quick access to the available research in this area. Here’s some to start you off.
Jones, E.K., Hanley, M. and Riby, D.M., 2020. Distraction, distress and diversity: Exploring the impact of sensory processing differences on learning and school life for pupils with autism spectrum disorders. Research in autism spectrum disorders, 72, p.101515. (link)
Zazzi, H. and Faragher, R., 2018. ‘Visual clutter’in the classroom: voices of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 64(3), pp.212-224. (link)
Mallory, C. and Keehn, B., 2021. Implications of sensory processing and attentional differences associated with autism in academic settings: An integrative review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, p.1358. (link)
Chaves, J. and Taylor, A., 2021. Creating Sensory Smart Classrooms: A Practical Guide for Educators. Routledge.
To wrap up
The research that actually studies the issue from an autistic perspective shows that the atypical sensory processing of autistic students is likely to have an impact in their learning environments. However, within current general educational research, there is a lack of qualitative studies exploring how autistic students interpret the effect of sensory stimulation in the classroom. More specifically, general education research is lacking in the area of students’ interpretations of their visual sensory input. The perceptions of students of what constitutes ‘visual clutter’, and its effect, have been neglected. Given the increasing number of autistic students present in classrooms (e.g., mainstreaming or Inclusion settings), understanding strengths and weaknesses in sensory processing and attention is necessary in order to design better classroom environments and develop more efficacious accommodations and interventions to support optimal student success ... for all students in the classroom.
— December 16, 2023 Note —
Some of the materials herein have made it into my books, No Place for Autism? and Holistic Language Instruction. No Place for Autism was released in February 2023 from Lived Places Publishing and is available at Amazon and other major book retailers worldwide. Holistic Language Instruction will be out in 2024.