Published Article

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effect of existing and physical design features on students’ academic performance, overall learning experience, engagement and well-being in University of Uyo. A descriptive research design was chosen for this study. The researcher focused on the University of Uyo as area of study. The population of the study was 3000 students drawn from faculties and departments across the University. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 300 respondents from the population. A research instrument titled Elements of Design and Learning Environment Questionnaire (EDLEQ) was used for data collection. Face and content validation of the instrument was carried out by an expert in test, measurement, and evaluation in order to ensure that the instrument has the accuracy, appropriateness, and completeness for the study under consideration. The findings revealed that the current interior design had a high mean score of 15.19 with a standard deviation of 1.28, indicating a positive influence on the learning environment and students’ academic performance. The findings also showed that physical spaces, student engagement, comfort, and well-being recorded a mean score of 13.00 with a standard deviation of 2.01, showing that physical learning environments significantly influence students’ learning experiences. Furthermore, the hypothesis tested showed a t-calculated value of 20.565 with a p-value of 0.001, which was significant at 0.05 alpha level. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected, indicating that there is a significant relationship between physical spaces and students’ engagement, comfort, and well-being at the University of Uyo. The study concluded that well-designed educational spaces contribute greatly to improved learning outcomes. One of the recommendations was that the University should improve learning spaces through the provision of ergonomic furniture, better lighting, improved acoustics, flexible learning areas, and inclusive design features to enhance students’ academic experience and overall well-being.