A percepção da cor ambiental em salas de aula do ensino médio: um estudo em duas Escolas Cidadãs Integrais na Paraíba.

Abstract

The extended permanence of young people in school spaces brings with it the need for pleasant, welcoming and cozy environments. The color applied in environments has been a research object for many different knowledge areas, due to the effect and influences that it can have under individuals. In this context, it is considered that the color design of school spaces must evaluate suitability and usability of the space and take such phenomena into consideration, aiming for the visual comfort and the psychological well-being of the users. This research aims to analyze the affective perception of high school students regarding the colors used on the walls of the classrooms. It is an exploratory research with a quali-quantitative approach, involving 139 high school students from two full-time citizen schools in Paraíba. 360-degree panoramic photographs of the classrooms were taken, and the colors were changed digitally. On the originally white walls, four different colors were applied: yellow, red, green and light blue – the colors of the ceiling, the floor and the furniture remained the same. Virtual reality three-dimensional glasses were used to provide a feeling of immersion in the simulated environment, with the possibility to explore it visually through different angles. The data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires, aiming at investigating possible effects of the color changes on the emotional response of the participants. The tool used to measure the Positive Affect (PA) and the Negative Affect (NA) was the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule – Reduced Portuguese Version (PANAS-RPV). The results did not present a negative affect. There were alterations on the intensity of the positive affect, showing students’ preference for colorful environments. Red and light blue were the colors which presented the most intense positive affect, while the current color of the classrooms (a mostly white environment) did not obtained vehemence in positive affection.