Noisy Classrooms: A Barrier to Academic Success

The teacher’s voice, the level of noise, the child’s location in the classroom and the echo of sounds are all factors that can help or harm learning. Classroom noise is a combination of all undesirable sounds. It can come from inside or outside of the classroom. Traffic, other students’ movements or chatter, neighbouring classes, computers and fans can all contribute. School performance drops when there is too much classroom noise, since it affects concentration.

Students’ own ability to understand the teacher is also a key factor in understanding the lesson. Children with hearing loss or auditory processing disorder, attention deficits (ADD/ADHD), language delays or a first language other than the language of instruction are all at risk of facing problems at school when there is a lot of classroom noise. Other, temporary conditions (like otitis, where there is a buildup of fluid behind the eardrum) can also affect learning.

The teacher’s voice should always be 15 dB louder than the noise in the classroom. That said, the noise level should never exceed 55 dB, even for a short time. Additionally, the teacher raising their voice to be heard over the students is not a good strategy: it can lead to vocal fatigue, affect the clarity of their words and encourage students to talk even louder.

Excessive classroom noise doesn’t just hinder learning. It can also lead to behavioural and emotional changes, loss of motivation, fatigue at the end of the day, and more. The auditory environment can also become a vicious cycle: the louder the classroom, the more students will have trouble concentrating, leading them to be even louder.

Daycares and kindergarten classes tend to be the loudest.

In fact, in Canada, most classrooms are above the recommended ambient noise levels. What’s more, students generally only understand five out of every six words.

Reducing noise at the source is the best way to improve the classroom auditory environment. Evaluation of school structures, acoustic modifications (soundproofing, padding under chair legs, a visible sound meter to show students the noise level, etc.) and the use of an MF system can help teachers and students alike.