Hear the World Survey Reveals Underestimated Impact of Noise in the Classroom

2010-08-30, Stäfa/Zug, Switzerland

Just in time for back to school, an international study conducted by Hear the World shows that noise levels in the classroom have a considerable impact on a child’s physical health and academic performance. The study, which surveyed just short of 500 schoolchildren in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and the United States, found that the students reported feeling distracted, irritated and stressed by high levels of noise during class.

Beyond the potential for premature hearing loss due to continuous exposure to loud noises in the classroom, the study revealed that noise coming from the inside and outside of the class ranked high as a reason why students might be having trouble concentrating (6.5 on a scale of 10). In addition, other negative effects of a loud classroom were feelings of stress (5.4), headaches (5.1) and a growing level of aggression (4.6).

Noise in the classroom often comes from a multitude of sources, which in turn, makes it difficult to control. Beyond outside noise like traffic and construction, inside noise sources include student activity, classroom equipment such as computers and projectors, echo within the room, neighboring classrooms and ventilation/heating systems.