Abstract:

This study was a research collaboration between a School of Public Health and School of Education supported by a government grant to a USA university. The researchers explored the relationships between health disparities in schools and factors that affect the quality of teaching, learning and the learning environment in a digital age.

The research addressed the problem from three dimensions:
1) teacher quality,
2) student performance and
3) health and environmental related data for two selected schools. A literature review on the effects of ecological and technological conditions have on schools showed there are significant health risk is some schools. The argument is that such conditions present thought-provoking implications for transforming learning environments into healthy and safe places for teachers and learners to be active and productive in a digital age.

Preliminary research focused on USA schools and revealed a high-quality teaching environment is expected to demonstrate five key conditions and five helping brain-based behaviors in teaching:
1) lesson clarity,
2) instructional variety to address diversity,
3) healthy and safe learning environment,
4) engagement in the learning process, and
5) student success.

Methodology includes mixed methods, explanatory research design to gather evidence of the relationships between variables and potential adverse effects of health and ecological conditions on teachers and students. Data collection and analysis methods include: Literature review, survey and interviews. Research sites include two selected schools – one rural/suburban and one urban/inner city school. The central research question is: What Critical Factors contribute to understanding and Creating and Maintaining Safe, Sustainable and Healthy Digital Age Learning Environments in Schools that Serve High Need Learners with Disparate Health Conditions?

This presentation will share findings on the potential implications for disparate conditions in schools and communities that can affect individuals and overall school performance. The research is important because it calls attention to the need to acknowledge problems involving healthy and safe infrastructure, environmental conditions and the impact on individuals health, which often result in adverse affects on teaching and learning performance in schools in this digital age society. The research is expected to advance future research designs and funding to investigate creating, maintaining safe and healthy digital age environments globally. The findings and results emerged from literature reviews, scientific research and field experiences for the phenomenon investigated in this study within school settings.

Keywords:

Learning environment design, infrastructure, student achievement, teacher effectiveness, school ecology, technological innovation.