The effect of educational background on students’ color preferences for improving the quality of learning in learning environments (A case study: undergraduate students majoring in computer and architecture in Mashhad)

Research has shown the effect of classroom environment variables on students’ learning performance. Color, as a variable in the interior space, has great impacts on the audience’s perception of the environment. Using students’ color preferences in classes can have a significant effect on the quality of their learning. Numerous factors can affect people’s color preferences, but the question is whether educational background plays a role or not. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of educational background on students’ color preferences, so that an appropriate color will be chosen for classroom interiors to improve the quality of learning in educational environments based on the impact of choosing a given color. A total of ۶۱۸ undergraduate participants majoring in computer sciences and architecture from both males and females were evaluated. In a qualitative questionnaire, students were asked to choose their first color preference as the color of the classroom interior, and then their favorite color was chosen from among the ۱۲ main colors of the color cycle in addition to ۳ achromatic colors. SPSS and Pearson's chi-squared test were used to evaluate this test. The results indicated that there is no significant relationship between students’ choice of color and their educational background in both majors (computer and architecture). However, the students’ color preferences in choosing a color for the interior of the classroom in both disciplines are affected by their educational background. This research helps us understand how to use color in the learning environments to increase the quality of learning.