The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning: A Synthesis of the Evidence

This report draws on findings from 129 international studies on how school facilities affect learning to identify key considerations for the design, development, and management of educational infrastructure projects. The aim of this report is to review current research studies on how school infrastructure affects children’s learning outcomes and to identify key parameters that can inform the design, implementation, and supervision of future educational infrastructure projects. The report also aims to identify areas where the evidence is currently less strong and where there is the potential for the further exploratory work. Factors considered include accessibility, health and safety, and what are described as “baseline conditions for learning” as well as how physical characteristics of a school may support or inhibit specific kinds of teaching practice and community engagement.