Comparative Analysis of Student Comfort Between Ideal and Existing Classrooms Based on Thermal and Lighting Conditions

This study aims to analyze the differences in students’ comfort levels between classrooms with ideal temperature and lighting conditions and those with existing conditions. Physical environmental conditions significantly influence students' concentration and learning effectiveness; however, a critical gap often exists between the ideal environmental parameters established in educational design and the actual conditions experienced by students in daily learning activities. A quantitative quasi-experimental comparative design was employed, involving 32 tenth-grade students of the TJKT program at SMK Negeri 2 Surakarta. To control for individual perceptual biases, a within-subjects design was utilized, wherein all students experienced and evaluated both conditions. Data were collected using a 40-item comfort questionnaire covering thermal comfort, visual comfort, and learning environment support, which demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.979). Data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests. The results revealed a significant difference in comfort scores between the ideal classroom (M = 142.00) and the existing classroom (M = 111.19), with t(15) = 26.919, p < 0.001. These findings demonstrate that optimizing temperature and lighting conditions substantially enhances student comfort, underscoring the need for targeted physical environment improvements in educational facilities.