Methodological approaches and main factors considered in school soundscape studies: A scoping review

Abstract

School acoustics is pivotal for children’s well-being given their substantial time commitment to education within these environments, with potential positive or negative impacts. Soundscape has gained relevance in various settings, including indoor environments, and explores both positive and negative responses of individuals to sounds within a context. This scoping review aims to investigate the application of the soundscape approach within the school environment, with a primary focus on evaluating perceptions of the acoustic environment. It aims to identify key factors considered in the studies, such as age groups, sound sources, and methodologies. A Scopus search was conducted, covering the period from January 2000 to September 2023. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published in English. The inclusion criteria required studies to investigate schools and assess the perceptions. After screening, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria from 49 articles. The most targeted age cohort was primary school-aged children. Yet, the need to consider secondary school children’s perceptions persists. The dominant sounds investigated were categorized as “negative” sounds, referring to auditory stimuli that are commonly perceived as unpleasant. These negative sounds were primarily traffic-induced noise. The prevailing method used was questionnaires. To advance school soundscape research, exploring secondary school-aged children’s views would provide valuable insights. By enhancing knowledge in this field, researchers can improve school acoustics for student well-being. Notably, a limitation of this review is that soundscape studies have centered around urban environments so far. Consequently, there have been only a limited number of studies examining indoor environments, and even less for schools.

Student’s Self-Reported Experience of Soundscape: The Link between Noise, Psychological and Physical Well-Being

“…This finding is interesting because past research on school quality and students’ learning has overlooked subjective perception in favor of acoustic and cognitive studies. It underlines the complex nature of noise perception and the need for studies also focusing on the positive aspects of soundscapes in schools [ 12 ] and the link between sound perception and the meanings individuals attach to the sounds [ 20 ]. Future studies should focus on the meanings, experiences, and perspectives of all children with qualitative research and guide the development of student-centered awareness-raising programs.…”

“…More recently, a systematic review of the effects of ventilation-related sounds on students showed the negative effects of fan noise and human-made sounds during natural ventilation on student performance [ 11 ]. Although these findings are of concern, research in this area remains limited, with a focus on primary school-age children and on sound sources labeled as “negative” or coming from the outside environment [ 12 ]. However, studies have shown that noise coming from inside the schools and generated by the human activities in the school are the most frequent noises students are exposed to [ 13 ].…”