Acoustical barriers in classrooms: the impact of noise on performance in the classroom

Abstract

There is general concern about the levels of noise that children are exposed to in classroom situations. The article reports the results of a study that explores the effects of typical classroom noise on the performance of primary school children on a series of literacy and speed tasks. One hundred and fifty-eight children in six Year 3 classes participated in the study. Classes were randomly assigned to one of three noise conditions. Two noise conditions were chosen to reflect levels of exposure experienced in urban classrooms: noise by children alone, that is classroombabble, and babble plus environmental noise, babble and environmental. Performance in these conditions were compared with performance under typical quiet classroom conditions or base. All analyses controlled for ability. A differential negative effect of noise source on type of task was observed. Children in the babble and environmental noise condition performed significantly worse than those in the base and babble conditions on speed of processing tasks. In contrast, performance on the verbal tasks was significantly worse only in the babble condition. Children with special educational needs were differentially negatively affected in the babble condition. The processes underlying these effects are considered and the implications of the results for children's attainments and classroom noise levels are explored.

Acoustical Standards Used in Design of School Spaces

“…In addition teachers indicate they have to speak at a level that strains their voices and results in throat diseases. Research has proved that good room acoustics reduces the teacher's stress level [1][2][3]. The problem of poor acoustics increases in rooms for learning and teaching foreign languages and disabled people.…”

Relationships between unoccupied classroom acoustical conditions and elementary student achievement measured in eastern Nebraska

“…Research has shown that the physical characteristics of classrooms are one of many contributing factors that may impact elementary student learning (Lanham, 1999). Specifically, higher background noise levels (BNL) have been found to be significantly correlated to lower student achievement scores both in occupied classrooms (Dockrell and Shield, 2006;Shield and Dockrell, 2008) and unoccupied ones (Ronsse and Wang, 2010). Since it is more straightforward to design buildings to meet unoccupied BNL guidelines, this paper presents a more comprehensive study on how unoccupied BNL is correlated to student learning, removing some limitations of the Ronsse and Wang (2010) study.…”

The Impact of Eliminating Extraneous Sound and Light on Students' Achievement: An Empirical Study

“…Research has indicated that noise and light in classrooms is one of many issues that may hamper sound education (Dockrell & Shield, 2006). The findings of this study showed that extraneous sound and light have an impact on learning.…”

“…This study examined the impact of eliminating extraneous sound and light on student achievement. As noted earlier, neuroscience and cognitive psychology literature on the effect of sound and light on cognition and studies on the impact of sound on learning (Andrews, 1990;Bess et al, 1998;DiSarno et al, 2002;Dunn, 1990;Dunn & Griggs, 1990;Gadwa & Griggs, 1985;Kreisman, & Crandell, 2002) have indicated that in the typical classroom (Bronzaft & McCarthy, 1975;Evans & Maxwell, 1975;Maxwell & Evans,2000), various environmental and studentrelated factors interfere with listening and comprehending (Dockrell & Shield, 2006;Flexer, 2009). …”

“…Such environments can be achieved with different electric lighting and sound systems that vary in their ability to provide good color rendering, low glare, low flicker, low noise and reverberation (Benya, Heschong, McGowan, Miller, & Rubenstein, 2003). These environments will help people avoid unwanted distraction, drowsiness, levels of arousal and photosensitive behavior (Dockrell, & Shield, 2006).…”