Greenness around Brazilian schools may improve students’ math performance but not science performance

Réquia, Weeberb J.; Saenger, Claúdia Costa; Cicerelli, Rejane Ennes; Abreu, Lucijane Monteiro de; Cruvinel, Vanessa Resende Nogueira

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127768

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Our ndings are supported by the literature showing that the presence of vegetation may contribute to improved air quality 16,17 , reduced noise pollution 18 , and enhanced psychological well-being 6,7 , all of which may facilitate learning and cognitive function 19,20 . Our results are in agreement with previous investigations that have also identi ed the bene cial effects of green spaces on academic performance [21][22][23][24] .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Neighborhood characteristics around schools and around students’ homes: Which one affects academic performance the most?

Réquia

Silva

2023

Preprint

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Access to high-quality education is essential for achieving social and economic development, yet academic performance remains a challenge in many low- and middle-income countries, such as Brazil. The neighborhood environment is increasingly recognized as an important factor that can influence academic performance. The existing literature on this topic is limited. Most studies have focused either on the exposure surrounding a student's school or their home. To address this gap, this study aimed to evaluate the association between neighborhood characteristics around both the student's school and home in the Federal District (FD), Brazil, focusing on green spaces (NDVI and quantity of green spaces), roads (length of roads), and wildfires as potential predictors of academic performance. We analyzed 344,175 students who were enrolled in the public schools (256 schools) of the FD from 2017 to 2020. We employed a mixed-effects regression model to investigate the relationship between individual-level academic performance and the neighborhood characteristics, while controlling for temporal, socioeconomic, and school-specific variables. Our results suggest that neighborhood characteristics represented by green spaces, roads, and wildfires, can have a significant impact on academic performance. We found that some neighborhood characteristics had a stronger association with academic performance when they were located around schools, compared to when they were located around students' homes. For example, the coefficient for NDVI within the buffer of 250m and 500m surrounding schools was estimated to be 2.48 (95%CI: 2.33; 2.63) and 0.59 (95%CI: 0.47; 0.71), respectively, while for NDVI surrounding homes, it was 0.23 (95%CI: 0.15; 0.30) and 0.25 (95%CI: 0.17; 0.33) for the buffer of 250m and 500m, respectively. Our study provides valuable insights into the potential role of neighborhood characteristics in promoting academic performance, which could inform urban planning and public policy aimed at improving educational outcomes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Neighborhood characteristics around schools and around students’ homes: Which one affects academic performance the most?

Réquia

Silva

2023

Preprint

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“…Finally, the majority of studies on school greenspace and academic performance have been conducted in developed countries in North America and Europe (Browning & Rigolon, 2019 ), with a limited number of school‐level studies from the Global South (Requia & Adams, 2022 ; Requia et al., 2022 ). Cultural backgrounds can influence perceptions of risks and benefits from urban vegetation and can even modify its relationship with health outcomes (Amano et al., 2018 ; Ordóñez‐Barona, 2017 ; Riechers et al., 2018 ; Rigolon et al., 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

School Greenness and Student‐Level Academic Performance: Evidence From the Global South

et al. 2023

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Greenspace in schools might enhance students' academic performance. However, the literature—dominated by ecological studies at the school level in countries from the Northern Hemisphere—presents mixed evidence of a beneficial association. We evaluated the association between school greenness and student‐level academic performance in Santiago, Chile, a capital city of the Global South. This cross‐sectional study included 281,695 fourth‐grade students attending 1,498 public, charter, and private schools in Santiago city between 2014 and 2018. Student‐level academic performance was assessed using standardized test scores and indicators of attainment of learning standards in mathematics and reading. School greenness was estimated using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Linear and generalized linear mixed‐effects models were fit to evaluate associations, adjusting for individual‐ and school‐level sociodemographic factors. Analyses were stratified by school type. In fully adjusted models, a 0.1 increase in school greenness was associated with higher test scores in mathematics (36.9 points, 95% CI: 2.49; 4.88) and in reading (1.84 points, 95% CI: 0.73; 2.95); as well as with higher odds of attaining learning standards in mathematics (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.12; 1.28) and reading (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02; 1.13). Stratified analysis showed differences by school type, with associations of greater magnitude and strength for students attending public schools. No significant associations were detected for students in private schools. Higher school greenness was associated with improved individual‐level academic outcomes among elementary‐aged students in a capital city in South America. Our results highlight the potential of greenness in the school environment to moderate educational and environmental inequalities in urban areas.

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Urban structure types and students’ academic performance

Requia,

Silva

2024

Environmental Technology

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Greenness around Brazilian schools may improve students’ math performance but not science performance

Cited by 4 publications

References 32 publications

Neighborhood characteristics around schools and around students’ homes: Which one affects academic performance the most?

Neighborhood characteristics around schools and around students’ homes: Which one affects academic performance the most?

School Greenness and Student‐Level Academic Performance: Evidence From the Global South

Urban structure types and students’ academic performance

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