Problems of Noise in School Settings : A Review of Literature and the Results of an Exploratory Study

The article sums up the current state of research on the detrimental effects of noise in elementary and high school settings. It deals in particular with the annoyance experienced by teachers, interference with speech, and effects on pupils' attention span and learning as well as their health and well-being. The results of an exploratory study in Quebec schools are also reported. A questionnaire survey indicated that a high proportion of teachers consider noise to be detrimental to their work; in particular, it interferes with speech. Furthermore, acoustic measurements were taken in 50 classrooms in 6 different elementary schools. Results show that for a majority of classrooms, the level of background noise and the reverberation time do not correspond to the optimal conditions for speech intelligibility. Openplan schools, in particular, have very serious problems of background noise, and classrooms without insulation or sound-absorbing surfaces have problems of excessive reverberation. Measurements taken during 35 physical education classes in 4 elementary schools and 4 high schools also revealed very serious noise problems associated with teaching in gymnasia. The study demonstrates the importance that speech and hearing specialists should attach to the acoustic environment in educational settings. Resume Cet article resume les connaissances disponibles concemant les mefaits du bruit en milieu scolaire primaire et secondaire. Il traite en particulier de la gene exprimee par des enseignants, de I' interference avec la communication verbale, des effets sur I'attention et sur les apprentissages ainsi que sur la sante et le bien-etre des eleves. Les resultats d'une etude exploratoire en milieu scolaire quebecois sont egalement rapportes. D'une part, une enquete par questionnaire montre qu'une forte proportion d'enseignants jugent que le bruit est nuisible a leur tache et. en particulier, qu'il interlere avec la communication verbale. D'autre part, des mesures acoustiques dans 50 classes appartenant a 6 ecoles de niveau primaire ont ete effectuees. Les resultats montrent que, pour la majorite des classes, le niveau de bruit ambiant et la duree de reverberation ne rencontraient pas les conditions optimales d'intelligibilire verbale. Les ecoles a aires JSLPAIROA Vol. J4,No. 3. September 1990 ouvertes posaient, en particulier, de tres serieux problemes de bruit ambiant tandis que les locaux de c1asse depourvu de traitement acoustique posaient des problemes de reverberation excessive. Des mesures faites durant 35 cours d'education physique donnes dans 4 ecoles primaires et 4 ecoles secondaires ont en outre mis en evidence de tres graves problemes de bruil pour I'enseignement dans les gymnases. Cette etude demontre I 'importance que les professionnels des troubles de la communication devront accorder aux ambiances sonores des milieux educatifs. There are no formal standards for the acoustic design of classrooms in Quebec, and the same seems to be true of the other Canadian provinces. It is therefore reasonable to assume that noise is a frequent problem in the school environment, interfering in particular with speech and thus communication. In such a situation. noise in all likelihood has a negative impact on well-being, behaviour, and learning. This article reviews the literature on the effects of noise as observed in educational settings, and reports on the results of an exploratory study carried out in Quebec schools. The authors hope the paper will help professionals in the field of communication disorders to focus on the importance of the acoustic environment in school settings. Review of the Literature Noise Problems Reported by Teachers The results of several recent studies indicate that acoustic conditions are unsatisfactory for teachers in some elementary and high schools (Crook & Langdon, 1974; Ko, 1979, 1981; Sargent, 1980). The work of Ko (1979) is particularly interesting in this respect: this study evaluated replies from 1297 teachers in 47 schools, corresponding to 66% of the total teaching staff in these schools. in which measurements were