Multi-domain sensation and preference of children at primary school: a case study

Students' well-being is influenced by the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) of classrooms. Poor IEQ, particularly inadequate acoustic conditions, can negatively affect students' learning performance and comfort. This study aims to identify indoor environmental conditions that promote students' multi-domain comfort in classrooms. Field campaigns were conducted in various primary schools in Northeast Italy, where physical parameters related to the four main comfort domains—namely sound pressure level, CO2 concentration, air temperature, relative humidity, mean radiant temperature, air velocity, and horizontal illuminance—were measured during the administration of a field questionnaire. Students were exposed to two acoustic conditions: typical classroom noise and artificially induced noise. Simultaneously, they were asked to complete a "right-here-right-now" questionnaire to gather their perceptions and preferences regarding the acoustic, thermal, visual, and indoor air quality environments. Additionally, the questionnaire included questions for self-assessing listening perception. Prior to the study, all participants underwent a comprehensive hearing screening to eliminate any potential biases related to auditory impairments. Subjective responses under different indoor conditions were analyzed to explore possible correlations between indoor parameters and students' sensations, as well as to evaluate the effect of noise on students' multi-domain comfort and preferences.