Classrooms are not usually designed with student well-being in mind. Most prioritize space, structure, and efficiency, often resulting in rooms that feel plain and repetitive. However, some classrooms feel different the moment you get in. They are not larger and newer, but they include just small natural elements, such as potted plants near windows or on the desks. These details may seem insignificant, but many students report their feeling more relaxed and focused in these environments. Psychological research suggests that this reaction may not be accidental.
In 2014, researchers at the University of Exeter explored this idea by comparing lean rooms with no decorative plants to rooms with enriched plants. People working or studying in spaces with green plants were more focused and productive than those in bare rooms. What’s interesting is that nothing else changed – the only difference was the presence of plants.
One reason plants help may be related to how attention works. Psychologists describe attention as something that can be tired, especially when we are forced to concentrate for a long time. Staring at textbooks, screens, or whiteboards all day long drains mental energy. Plants give the brain a break without becoming distracting. Looking at leaves does not demand effort, but it still gives the mind a moment to rest.
In addition, plants affect how students feel emotionally. Green space is strongly connected to lower stress levels. In a school environment, less stress can mean better behavior, more patience, and greater willingness to participate. A classroom that feels alive provides the sense of less threatening. Students may feel more comfortable raising their hands and working with classmates.
On the other hand, classrooms without plants can feel rigid and uncomfortable. When a room feels cold or lifeless, it is harder to get motivated. Over time, students may begin to associate learning with pressure rather than curiosity. Furthermore, students often look for other ways to escape mental fatigue, including phones, doodling, and zoning out. The problem is that these habits make it even harder to refocus. Plants offer a quieter reset; they do not pull attention away from learning, but they make the space comfortable enough to make focusing easier.
What makes this idea especially interesting is how simple it is. Improving focus and mood does not always require expensive techniques or major changes. Sometimes it’s just a small plant by a window. That small detail can quietly change how a space feels and how students experience learning. In the end, classrooms with green decorative plants are not just prettier, they reflect a deeper understanding of how human minds work. Learning is not just about information – it is also about environments. Sometimes, the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling ready to learn is something as simple as a little green in the rooms.
By. Minkyu Jung
Works Cited
Bringslimark, Tina, et al. “The Psychological Benefits of Indoor Plants: A Critical Review of the Experimental Literature.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 29, no. 4, 2009, pp. 422–433.
“Enriching Workplaces with Plants Improves Productivity.” ScienceDaily, 1 Sept. 2014, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140901090735.htm.
Kaplan, Rachel, and Stephen Kaplan. The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press, 1989.
Knight, Craig, and S. Alexander Haslam. “The Relative Merits of Lean, Enriched, and Empowered Offices.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, vol. 16, no. 2, 2010, pp. 158–172.
“Why Plants in the Office Make Us More Productive.” University of Exeter, 2014, news-archive.exeter.ac.uk/2014/september/title_409094_en.html.