Indoor environmental quality assessment of naturally-ventilated school classrooms within a dense arid urban setting of Cairo, Egypt

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) has a significant impact on occupant satisfaction in educational buildings. Key influencing factors include indoor air quality, thermal comfort, visual comfort, and acoustical comfort. These parameters are critical as they directly impact students' health, academic performance, and learning processes, underscoring the urgent need for research in this underexplored context. The novelty of this study is evaluating the IEQ in elementary school classrooms in Nasr City, Egypt, a densely populated city with a hot, arid climate, while also assessing the differences in IEQ among governmental, private, and experimental schools. This study examines the perceptions of fifth-grade students regarding indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in naturally ventilated elementary school classrooms in Nasr City, Egypt, a densely populated city with an arid climate. The research took a questionnaire approach, and questionnaires were distributed to students across five schools. The responses were then analyzed using SPSS software. The results indicate that generally favorable opinions regarding seating location, natural ventilation, and lighting quality. However, assessments vary by school and classroom; for instance, students seated near open windows reported increased energy levels and focus. This implies that there is a need for strategies to optimize in-classroom layout and ventilation systems, which play a significant role in keeping students engaged in learning activities. However, several challenges were identified, including seasonal discomfort related to temperature fluctuations, excessive noise from street and playground activities, and occasional dissatisfaction with air freshness, especially in classrooms with closed windows. The limitations of this study include a restricted sample size, constraints imposed by local authorities on data collection, and a single-grade focus, which limits the generalizability of the findings. This illustrates the importance of conducting further research to authenticate the results across various educational settings. Ultimately, this study emphasizes the importance of targeted indoor environmental quality (IEQ) improvements in schools to enhance students' learning experiences and overall well-being. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and educational stakeholders by highlighting the main challenges and potential benefits of naturally ventilated classrooms in densely populated, arid urban settings, thereby helping fill a gap in publicly available information concerning IEQ in developing nations.