The effects of classroom noise on the reading comprehension of adolescents

Abstract

An investigation has been carried out to examine the impact of different levels of classroom noise on adolescents' performance on reading and vocabulary-learning tasks. A total of 976 English high school pupils (564 aged 11 to 13 years and 412 aged 14 to 16 years) completed reading tasks on laptop computers while exposed to different levels of classroom noise played through headphones. The tasks consisted of reading science texts, which were followed by multiple-choice questions probing comprehension and word learning. Number of questions attempted, times taken to read the texts and to answer questions were recorded, as well as correct answers to different types of question. The study consisted of two similar experiments, the first comparing performance in classroom noise at levels of 50 dB LAeq and 70 dB LAeq; and the second at levels of 50 dB LAeq and 64 dB LAeq. The results showed that the performance of all pupils was significantly negatively affected in the 70 dB LAeq condition, for the number of questions attempted and the accuracy of answers to factual and word learning questions. It was harder to discern effects at 64 dB LAeq, this level of noise having a detrimental effect upon the older pupils only.

Evidence for Environmental Noise Effects on Health for the United Kingdom Policy Context: A Systematic Review of the Effects of Environmental Noise on Mental Health, Wellbeing, Quality of Life, Cancer, Dementia, Birth, Reproductive Outcomes, and Cognition

“…The systematic review identified nine studies of associations of environmental noise on cognition [39,48,[84][85][86][87][88][89][90]. Studies examined child and adult samples.…”

“…Two other studies known to the authors were also added [94,95], along with another recent conference paper [93]. Six studies were excluded after data extraction (Appendix A.2) which included two studies which reported experimental studies [84,85]; one that reported on mental health and not cognition and had already been identified in the search for mental health [39]; one which did not report on noise exposure per se [89], and another study which reported an ADHD outcome, which was moved to the mental health review [48]. One study reported on attitudes to noise within the school and did not report a cognitive outcome [90].…”

“…experimental studies [84,85]; one that reported on mental health and not cognition and had already been identified in the search for mental health [39]; one which did not report on noise exposure per se [89], and another study which reported an ADHD outcome, which was moved to the mental health review [48]. One study reported on attitudes to noise within the school and did not report a cognitive outcome [90].…”

The Impact of Classroom Chatter Noise on Comprehension: A Systematic Review

“…For obvious technical reasons, neither the operator nor the outcome assessor was blinded in any of four randomized studies we reviewed (Connolly et al., 2019; Jones et al., 2015; Prodi & Visentin, 2015; Yang et al., 2017). A summary of the judgments of the authors of this review regarding the risk of biases at the level of individual studies for these four randomized studies is provided in Figure 2.…”

Survey of Teen Noise Exposure and Efforts to Protect Hearing at School — United States, 2020

“…Among all students responding, fewer than one out of three (29.6%) reported being taught how to protect their hearing during noisy events or activities. A loud sound level in a classroom is not just an annoyance; it can also disrupt academic performance and educational activities (3,4). Certain classroom environments as well as some related school activities can be loud and might contribute to NIHL (5,6).…”