Open research questions in Educational Environments and Student Outcomes

What the literature leaves open

• There is a need to understand how positive feedback influences students' motivation and involvement in the classroom. The study aims to explore the nuanced dimensions of feedback, with a particular emphasis on the positive variant, and its implications for the motivation and involvement of primary students.

  Examining Teachers’ Perception on the Impact of Positive Feedback on School Students · 2024 · DOI

• The need to ensure the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The challenge of identifying central predictors of the sense of security and comfort.

  The Sense of Security and Comfort in Education—Development, Validation, and Interpretation of a New Questionnaire · 2024 · DOI

• The paper does not explicitly state specific technical or domain challenges, but it implies that the development of educational video capsules and the introduction of active and cooperative learning methodologies can be challenging. The need for accessible and inclusive educational resources can also be a challenge.

  Development of Educational Video Capsules for Active Learning in Environmental Sciences through Universal Design for Learning · 2024 · DOI

• The need for innovative teaching methods to promote critical and creative mentality in students. The lack of active and cooperative learning methodologies in higher education. The need for accessible and inclusive educational resources.

  Development of Educational Video Capsules for Active Learning in Environmental Sciences through Universal Design for Learning · 2024 · DOI

• The impact of environmental conditions on academic performance in university students is not well understood. The study aims to address this gap by analysing the influence of thermal comfort on academic performance.

  An Analysis of Thermal Comfort as an Influencing Factor on the Academic Performance of University Students · 2024 · DOI

• To support individualized learning pathways, monitor student progress, and dynamically modify instructional content to match the needs of each learner, adaptive learning systems should be used.

  Learning Topography and Its Impact on Student Behavior: The Use of Microsoft Excel and AutoCAD as an Innovation in an Algerian University · 2026 · DOI

• The key limitations - single-school scope, quasi-experimental design, and short follow-up - should be addressed in future longitudinal multi-site studies.

  Design and evaluation of a digital learning environment for computer architecture education: A mixed methods case study · 2026 · DOI

• This study explores Chinese students' learning engagement, encompassing behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects, and its intricate relationships with school atmosphere, academic self-efficacy, and academic emotions—an area that remains significantly under-researched in contemporary educational psychology.

  The Interplay of School Environment and Academic Self-Beliefs in Predicting Learning Engagement Among Chinese Students · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies should investigate the impact of the learning environment on learners' academic achievement. Future research should explore the role of teacher-learner relationships in promoting learner engagement.

  Learning Environment and Learners’ Engagement · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of engagement on the learners' part creates a significant gap in the educational experience of the learners. There is a need to investigate the relationship between learning environment and learners' engagement.

  Learning Environment and Learners’ Engagement · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a need to investigate the relationship between classroom environment and learners' engagement. The study aims to fill the gap by examining the emotional, learning, and social environments in the classroom and their impact on learners' engagement.

  Classroom Environment and Learners’ Engagement · 2026 · DOI

• Yet its lack of experiential immersion and reliance on limited data, particularly acute in Iran, restrict its impact (Brkovic 2019, Shahraki 2021).

  From rigidity to flexibility: reforming urban planning studio pedagogies in developing nations · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the reasons why school boards do or do not organise snow classes. The study examines the barriers and expectations for future snow classes.

  Flemish School Boards’ Reasons for (Not) Organising Snow Classes · 2026 · DOI

• The study is a pilot case study with a small sample size. The research is limited to a single Queensland state secondary school. The study does not provide a comprehensive evaluation of the FlexiSpace built environment.

  Engaging the disengaged: investigating the built environment in a secondary FlexiSpace · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should investigate the impact of the built environment on student engagement in different educational settings. The study suggests that future research should focus on the design and implementation of flexible learning environments that support student-centred learning.

  Engaging the disengaged: investigating the built environment in a secondary FlexiSpace · 2026 · DOI

• The study is context-specific to rural South Africa natural science education. The sample size is limited to 20 students.

  Leveraging CLASSE Insights to Bridge Engagement Gaps in Natural Science Education in a South African University: A Qualitative Exploration · 2026 · DOI

• For future studies, it is recommended to conduct mixed-method research combining descriptive and qualitative approaches to investigate not only the extent of children’s and young people’s participation in informal learning environments but also the underlying reasons for their participation or non-participation.

  Investigation of Social and Cultural Informal Learning Opportunities for Middle and High School Students · 2026 · DOI

• Although participation in youth camps is available free of charge through local youth centers affiliated with the Ministry, the result of very low participation in such camps suggests that access to these state-provided opportunities is insufficient or that students are unable to attend for various reasons.

  Investigation of Social and Cultural Informal Learning Opportunities for Middle and High School Students · 2026 · DOI

• Further research should investigate the impact of smart classrooms on student learning outcomes. Further research should explore the effectiveness of different professional development programs for teachers. Further research should examine the role of parental involvement in supporting smart classroom implementation.

  Assessment of Smart Classroom Components in Rural Secondary Schools: Evidence from Rwanda · 2026 · DOI

• Limited infrastructure and material scarcity. Lack of outdoor STEM spaces and unstructured playtime. Limited teacher training and experience.

  Creating a Conducive Learning Environment for STEM Integration in Lower Primary Education: Lessons from Ugandan Primary Schools · 2026 · DOI

• The study is limited to five government-aided primary schools in Uganda. It does not provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of STEM education on pupil outcomes. The study relies on self-reported data from teachers and pupils, which may be subject to bias.

  Creating a Conducive Learning Environment for STEM Integration in Lower Primary Education: Lessons from Ugandan Primary Schools · 2026 · DOI

• There is a gap between curriculum expectations and classroom practice in teaching environmental activities. Teachers face challenges in connecting environmental activities with their instructional methodologies due to inadequate resources, inadequate training, and poor supervision.

  Instructional Strategies for Teaching Environmental Activities in Pre-Primary School Level: A Lesson for Kenya under Competency-Based Education Curriculum · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should investigate the long-term effects of project-based learning on ecological footprint awareness in preschool children. Future research should examine the effectiveness of project-based learning in promoting ecological footprint awareness in different age groups and contexts.

  Proje Tabanlı Öğrenme Yaklaşımının Okul Öncesi Çocuklarda Ekolojik Ayak İzi Farkındalığına Etkisinin İncelenmesi · 2026 · DOI

• Limited resources in rural South African universities. Cultural dynamics in SA classrooms.

  Leveraging CLASSE Insights to Bridge Engagement Gaps in Natural Science Education in a South African University: A Qualitative Exploration · 2026 · DOI

• The study was conducted in only one district in Rwanda. The sample size was limited to 358 participants. The study did not investigate the impact of smart classrooms on student learning outcomes.

  Assessment of Smart Classroom Components in Rural Secondary Schools: Evidence from Rwanda · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Educational Environments and Student Outcomes

• School Engagement: Potential of the Concept, State of the Evidence · Review of Educational Research · 2004 · 8,678 citations
• The Classroom Social Environment and Changes in Adolescents’ Motivation and Engagement During Middle School · American Educational Research Journal · 2001 · 802 citations
• Student engagement, context, and adjustment: Addressing definitional, measurement, and methodological issues · Learning and Instruction · 2016 · 654 citations
• Teaching through Interactions · The Elementary School Journal · 2013 · 591 citations
• Bridging In-school and Out-of-school Learning: Formal, Non-Formal, and Informal Education · Journal of Science Education and Technology · 2006 · 567 citations
• Organizing Research and Development at the Intersection of Learning, Implementation, and Design · Educational Researcher · 2011 · 559 citations
• Classroom Climate and Contextual Effects: Conceptual and Methodological Issues in the Evaluation of Group-Level Effects · Educational Psychologist · 2012 · 523 citations
• Classroom dialogue: a systematic review across four decades of research · Cambridge Journal of Education · 2013 · 452 citations
• Development of an instrument to measure classroom community · The Internet and Higher Education · 2002 · 426 citations
• Coordinated movement and rapport in teacher-student interactions · Journal of Nonverbal Behavior · 1988 · 396 citations

Most recent work

• Smart learning environments and student engagement: A structural equation modeling study of psychological safety, learning motivation, and willingness to communicate · Acta Psychologica · 2026
• How cultural and educational experiences affect Chinese and UK students’ learning preferences: a qualitative study of perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs · Cogent Education · 2026
• School buildings: Effects of ergonomic and architectural factors of school spaces on teachers’ well-being · International Journal of Educational Research · 2026
• Perceived professional learning community culture and adaptive teaching practices among Chinese teachers: The mediating role of instructional self-efficacy and the moderating role of work stress · International Journal of Educational Research · 2026
• Multi-sensory campus: The impact of thermal-visual-acoustic interactions on emotional perception in campus environments · Building and Environment · 2026
• Application of adaptive thermal comfort in mechanically conditioned learning environments in Berlin, Germany · Building and Environment · 2026
• Setting the stage for learning and student success: an integrated framework linking stress, mental health, and self-regulated learning · Frontiers in Education · 2026
• From the 15-minute city to the 15-minute university: A new paradigm for university campuses · Cities · 2026
• Academic atmosphere, academic self-perception, and student self-efficacy: a structural model · BMC Nursing · 2026
• Designing inclusive learning spaces in higher education: examining how physical and digital space design (learning commons, makerspaces) fosters community and engagement · Information and Learning Sciences · 2026

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