Study: Plants Improve Student Success

Could you increase your company’s revenue by going back to school? New research reported by Rentokil, parent company of Initial Tropical Plants, says there may be a solid market for interiorscapers on campus. As school bells ring for students across the country, a new study undertaken by the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, England, and Initial Tropical Plants, reveals that students can improve their chances of success with a little help – not just from textbooks, but from plants.

The research was undertaken by Amanda Read, a student at The Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, England, as part of her horticulture degree program. Rentokil supported the research, which it says has provided some “staggering results.”

Read’s study monitored the attendance and behavior of a group of 34 students over the course of an academic year during a weekly series of lectures. The location of the lectures alternated each week between a room with plants, and a room without plants. During the lecture, students were video recorded and observed for behavioral signs of inattention, such as daydreaming, talking, fidgeting and yawning.

Each incident of inattention was recorded and the total number of incidents per lecture calculated. Results showed that, in the room where plants were present, students’ inattentiveness was reduced by 70 percent. In terms of attendance, the percentage of students returning to the lecture following a break was 97.8 percent in the interiorscaped classroom, compared to 86.4 percent in the classroom with no plants.

"Being a plant lover, I had expected to find some students preferred the room with plants,” Read said of her study and its results. “I imagined this would manifest itself predominantly in the form of positive comments from the users of the room, but not much more than that.”

Ian Thompson, managing director of Rentokil Tropical Plants noted that he was surprised by the significant difference in the students’ behavior and suggested that this type of research is essential to help the horticulture market understand its customers. "It is equally important for decision makers in educational facilities and offices to understand that the value of plants extends far beyond the merely aesthetic appeal,” Thompson said. “Amanda will be carrying out further research comparing the students’ exam results and exam questions selected with the room scenario in which the topic was taught.”

Here in the states, Initial Tropical Plants President Jeff Mariola says this research underscores the fact that plants aren’t just good for looks. “It’s important for the academic community to realize the value of indoor plants extends far beyond mere aesthetic appeal," says Mariola. "Interior plants decrease stress levels while raising productivity levels and provide the academic environment with a wide variety of cost-cutting and health boosting benefits."