Final answer:
The significant interaction of classroom lighting and time of day on exam scores means that both factors have a combined effect on exam scores, with the effect depending on the specific combination of lighting and time of day.
Step-by-step explanation:
If an ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) reveals a significant interaction of classroom lighting and time of day on exam scores, this means that the effect of one independent variable (e.g., lighting) on the dependent variable (exam scores) is different at different levels of the other independent variable (time of day).
In other words, the effect of classroom lighting on exam scores depends on the time of day, and vice versa.
For example, it could mean that students perform better in brightly lit classrooms in the morning but perform worse in brightly lit classrooms in the evening. Similarly, they may perform worse in dimly lit classrooms in the morning but perform better in dimly lit classrooms in the evening.
This result highlights the importance of considering both classroom lighting and time of day as factors that can influence exam scores.