Experimental assessment of impact of different ventilation modes on cognitive and academic performance: a study based on classrooms in Türkiye

Abstract

In closed spaces, such as classrooms, poor ventilation, indoor exposure to CO2, and non-optimal humidity and temperature conditions are global concerns associated with health and performance. This study experimentally assesses the effects of different ventilation modes on the air quality parameters and cognitive and academic performances of 120 s-grade primary school children in two buildings with different characteristics during heating and non-heating seasons. Based on a retrospective analysis of 455 primary schools in Turkiye during 2017-2018, the study was conducted in six classrooms of the two representative school buildings. Indoor air quality monitoring and performance (of the students) assessment was carried out from December 9, 2019, to September 28, 2020. The non-heating season measurements were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to our findings, the traditionally constructed school without energy efficiency regulations exhibited the worse scenario. The success percentages of arithmetic attention in both traditional and natural ventilation modes were significantly lower in the nonheating season than in the heating season, which indicates the impact of using a facemask inside a classroom during cognitive tasks. This study demonstrated that the heating season is more critical than the non-heating season in terms of ventilation of closed spaces.