Cultivating Emotional Connections: The Impact of Colour in Education

A thoughtfully designed classroom environment can significantly impact a child's emotional well-being and academic performance. One often overlooked aspect is the strategic use of colour in student learning resources through to classroom wall decoration. In this blog, I delve into the science behind colour psychology and its role in shaping the educational experience.

In a previous article, I explored how colour can enhance student engagement. Today, I'll be looking at some other aspects of how colour can be used to your advantage when creating learning resources and wall decorations for your classroom.

What are the benefits of using more colour in the classroom?

From stimulating creativity to fostering focus, here's a number of ways in which colour can be used in your classroom.

• Stimulating environment: Bright colours such as red, yellow, and orange are known to create an energetic and stimulating environment. These colours can be used in specific areas of your classroom and specific resources to promote active learning, discussions, and group activities.
  
  
• Calming atmosphere: Cool colours like blue, green, and purple can create a calming atmosphere, which is beneficial for concentration and relaxation. Incorporating these colours in areas designated for quiet study or when producing reading resources can help students focus better.
  
  
• Emotional connections: Colours evoke emotions and feelings. By using colours associated with positive emotions, such as happiness, excitement, and curiosity, you can create more engaging and enjoyable lessons for your students.
  
  
• Visual cues: Colour-coded materials help children understand and remember concepts more easily. For instance, using different colours for various subjects, assignments, or learning levels can provide a visual organisation system that is easier for students to grasp.
  
  
• Encourage creativity: Using a variety of colours in the classroom, including on walls, furniture, and learning materials, can inspire creativity and imagination in children. Allowing students to use colours in their projects and assignments can also enhance their creative expression.
  
  
• Personalisation: Giving students the opportunity to personalise their learning space with their favourite colours can make them feel more comfortable and connected to the environment, thereby promoting motivation and engagement.

What colours should I use in my classroom?

Let’s dive into a bit of science now. A study by Naz Kaya (2004) looked into the relationship between emotions and colours (with college students), examining the emotional responses that participants associated with various colours.

The study involved 98 students, who were asked to rate their emotional responses to eight colours (red, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, white, and black). The questionnaire included 20 emotion-related terms, such as happy, sad, angry, and calm. Participants rated their emotional response to each colour using a 5-point scale, ranging from 'not at all' to 'very much.'

The research found that participants associated certain emotions with specific colours. For example, red was predominantly linked to excitement, blue to calmness, green to relaxation and calmness, and yellow to cheerfulness. Here’s the breakdown of each colour:

• Red: Excitement, energy, and passion
• Yellow: Happiness, cheerfulness, and warmth
• Green: Relaxation, calmness, and peacefulness
• Blue: Calmness, tranquillity, and serenity
• Purple: Creativity, sophistication, and luxury
• Brown: Earthiness, stability, and reliability
• White: Purity, cleanliness, and simplicity
• Black: Elegance, power, and sophistication

• predominantly red 
• predominantly blue-green
• predominantly white 

Participants were asked to complete a typing task followed by a proofreading task in their assigned environment. Once complete, participants completed a questionnaire to assess their mood. Not your typical classroom tasks, but nonetheless, there are some interesting findings that you can use with your students.

Participants in the predominantly red office reported higher levels of arousal and alertness compared to those in the blue-green or white offices. However, those in the red office made more errors in the proofreading task (as a result of typing faster), whereas participants in the blue-green office made fewer errors but typed slower.

What does this mean for my classroom?

These findings can be applied to the classroom, where strategic use of colour may enhance student focus and engagement. Here’s a handy guide:

• Use warm colours (red, yellow, and orange) in areas designated, and learning resources where active learning, group discussions, and collaborative activities are required. These colours are associated with energy, excitement, and stimulation, which can help keep young children engaged.
• Utilise cool colours (blue, green, and purple) in areas and resources intended for quiet study, reading, or relaxation. These colours are known to create a calming and focused atmosphere, which can help students concentrate better.

There’s no magic answer to what percentage should be warm vs cool. It’s partly trial and error, and creating balance. The best colour scheme for a school classroom is one that combines warm and cool colours to create a balanced and engaging environment that caters to the diverse needs and preferences of young learners. 


To wrap things up, understanding the impact of colour on emotional engagement and learning is essential for creating effective classroom environments. By thoughtfully combining warm and cool colours, teachers like yourself can cultivate an atmosphere that promotes creativity, focus, and motivation. As we've explored in this blog, strategic colour use can significantly enhance the educational experience, fostering emotional connections and supporting students on their journey towards academic success. Remember, a colourful classroom is not only visually appealing but also emotionally enriching, paving the way for inspired learning.

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References

• Kaya, N. (2004). Relationship between colour and emotion: A study of college students. College Student Journal

• Kwallek, N., Lewis, C. M., & Robbins, A. S. (1988). Effects of office interior colour on workers' mood and productivity. Perceptual and Motor Skills