PPG Survey: 97% of Respondents Find Classroom Color, Design Positively Affect Student Engagement

PPG released new survey data that confirms the positive impact color can have on learning environments, serving as a catalyst for student engagement, happiness and ownership.

Nearly 900 teachers, parents and educational administrators across the U.S. completed the online survey, with 97 percent of participants saying colors and décor are meaningful to positively affecting student engagement.

“Paint colors are a powerful tool for impacting the aesthetic of a space, but they also have the potential to impact the emotions or experience one has within the space,” said Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color marketing manager, architectural coatings. “We found this to be particularly true in educational settings, where color can stimulate learning, promote imagination and encourage creative thinking.”

The survey found that 63 percent of respondents also believe that certain colors help children learn better. Schlotter recommends the use of specific colors in different types of learning environments to evoke particular emotions or outcomes.

“Blue is ideal for libraries, as it provides a calming feeling and helps increase the time one spends in a space,” said Schlotter. “Reds and oranges are perfect for cafeterias, as these colors stimulate appetite.”

While teachers and school administrators believe in the power of color, resources are limited to improve classrooms. According to the survey, 36 percent of educators and nearly one third (30 percent) of parents have raised funds or used their own funds to improve or beautify classrooms. More than half (55 percent) of teachers say their classroom needs to be painted more often.

“As a leading paint and color authority, PPG understands the positive influence that color can have on a space and knows that educators do not always have the time or resources to revitalize their own classrooms,” said Malesia Dunn, PPG executive director, corporate social responsibility.

Through PPG’s global COLORFUL COMMUNITIES program, employee volunteers contribute their time and PPG paint products to help transform community assets, such as schools and classrooms, to provide students around the world with spaces suitable to foster development and educational opportunities.

“At PPG, we know that paint is more than just color on the wall,” said Dunn. “It can breathe new life and purpose into a space, create memories and spark joy. This survey underscores the positive impact that our paint and our employee volunteers can have on learning through the Colorful Communities program. It motivates us to reach even more schools.”