Biophilic classroom design has become an effective restorative method for improving the learning experience by incorporating natural elements into indoor educational settings. This study aimed to examine the influence of classrooms with different levels of biophilic design on learning engagement, student satisfaction, and perceived environmental quality among higher education students. A quasi-experimental longitudinal between-subject design was employed involving 91 students assigned to two classroom conditions: a biophilic classroom (Site A) and a conventional classroom (Site B). Data were collected at three time points (early, mid, and late semester), and qualitative insights were obtained through interviews with 10 selected participants. The results indicated that students in the biophilic classroom consistently demonstrated higher levels of learning engagement across behavioural, emotional, and performance dimensions compared to those in the conventional classroom. Student satisfaction and perceived environmental quality followed a similar pattern, with higher and progressively increasing scores observed in the biophilic condition. Trend analysis further showed widening differences between the two groups over time, suggesting that classroom environmental characteristics may play an important role in shaping students’ cognitive and emotional learning experiences. Qualitative findings supported these results, highlighting students’ perceptions of the biophilic classroom as more comfortable, engaging, and conducive to learning. Despite limitations related to the single-institution context and non-random group assignment, the findings contribute to the growing body of evidence on the educational value of biophilic design. Future research is recommended to include broader samples and more rigorous experimental designs to further validate these findings.
Dong et al. (Thu,) studied this question.