Heat Exposure and Learning Outcomes Among School-Aged Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review Protocol

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BACKGROUND Climate change is intensifying heat exposure globally, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bearing a disproportionate burden. School-aged children in these settings may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of heat on cognitive function, school attendance, and academic performance. Despite growing evidence on heat and adult labour productivity, the literature on heat exposure and children's learning outcomes in LMICs remains poorly mapped. OBJECTIVE This scoping review aims to systematically map the evidence on the relationship between heat exposure and learning outcomes among school-aged children (approximately 5–16 years) in low- and middle-income countries. RESEARCH QUESTION What evidence exists on the relationship between heat exposure and learning outcomes among school-aged children in low- and middle-income countries? SUB-QUESTIONS 1. How is heat exposure defined and measured in the literature? 2. What educational outcomes are examined? 3. What study designs and data sources are used? 4. What mechanisms linking heat exposure to learning outcomes are identified? 5. What geographic gaps exist in the literature? METHODS This review follows the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) scoping review framework, refined by Levac, Colquhoun and O'Brien (2010), and reports in accordance with PRISMA-ScR (Tricco et al., 2018) and PRISMA-S (Rethlefsen et al., 2021). A comprehensive search will be conducted across five databases: Scopus, Web of Science, EconLit (EBSCOhost), ERIC (ProQuest), and PubMed/MEDLINE. Search terms follow the Population–Concept–Context (PCC) framework. Studies published in English between January 2015 and December 2025 will be included. Deduplication and screening will be conducted in Covidence. Two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts and full texts, with disagreements resolved by consensus. INCLUSION CRITERIA - Population: School-aged children and adolescents (5–16 years) in formal schooling - Concept: Heat exposure, extreme temperatures, heatwaves, climate variability - Outcome: Literacy, numeracy, test scores, cognitive performance, school attendance, educational attainment - Context: Low- and middle-income countries (World Bank classification) - Study types: Empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods), reviews, grey literature - Timeframe: January 2015 – December 2025 - Language: English STATUS: Protocol registration — searches not yet commenced / searches commenced [update as appropriate].

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