For thousands of years, our hearing has been shaped so that we can hear well outdoors, in the open air. Today, we spend up to 90% of our time indoors, i.e. in an environment unfamiliar to human hearing. Starting from childhood, we attend kindergarten, and then - school, where we spend several hours a day. To avoid health problems, rooms should be designed to help students and teachers feel comfortable and ready to learn, and not be stressed or fatigued by ambient noise.
Any room has its own acoustic properties. Sound waves propagating in it meet various obstacles on their way. Even though we rarely pay attention to sound, poor acoustics can seriously harm our well-being. Particularly uncomfortable acoustic environments can affect the health, social behavior and productivity of school-age children. And although the low academic performance of students can be due to various reasons, nevertheless, one of them is an unfavorable acoustic environment.
The main negative effect of noise is impairment of speech perception. Short-term memory in children against the background of noise functions worse than in adults. As you know, it is short-term memory that plays an important role in mastering speech, writing and reading. Teachers also suffer from poor classroom acoustics, and a good sound environment affects the performance of schoolchildren and reduces the risk of occupational diseases among teachers by 75%!
Causal relationship
Background noise refers to the multiple and chaotic reflections of sound waves from the hard and smooth surfaces of the ceiling, walls and floor. Hum will impair hearing and speech intelligibility. Not hearing the teacher, students lose interest in the subject of the lesson, are distracted and switch to extraneous matters. Studies by the American Acoustic Society have shown that a 10 dB increase in background noise ultimately leads to a 5-7% decrease in assimilation test scores. To overcome the noise, the teacher speaks louder, and the constant tension makes you feel worse. According to the Oticon Foundation, up to 80% of teachers experience problems with the vocal cords and throat (chronic laryngitis, loss of voice, throat infections, etc.). For people of other professions, this figure is only 5%.
Innovative solutions in acoustics are aimed precisely at eliminating this "noisy" problem: building materials absorb sound waves, protecting premises from noise. At the same time, children perfectly hear every word of the teacher, which contributes to a better perception of information, they are more willing to get involved in the work. Research from the University of Bremen found that teaching in modernized rooms reduced the noise level by 13 dB compared to classes in rooms without sound-absorbing finishes. If the lessons are taught according to the classical method, when the teacher speaks and the students listen, this figure does not exceed 10 dB (data from research from Heriot-Watt University, UK). In the classroom, it is easy to maintain discipline - in a calm environment, students try to speak in an even voice in low tones so as not to disturb the “quiet” atmosphere.
In a favorable acoustic environment, teachers feel comfortable - the content of hormones in the blood and the heart rate do not go beyond the normal range. An analysis of measurements carried out by a group of researchers at the University of Bremen shows that teachers working in classrooms with high-quality acoustic finishes have a heart rate decrease of 10 beats compared to their colleagues who continue to teach children in standard classes.
There is a solution
The problem we are considering has a fairly simple solution - creating a favorable acoustic environment. For these purposes, educational institutions should use acoustic materials that absorb the most tedious and annoying low-frequency noise, which is especially important for so-called "sensitive" children, that is, students with hearing impairments (often undetected), schoolchildren studying in a language other than their native language and students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (according to a UK study, they make up 21% of children attending school). In large classrooms, where the distance between teachers and students exceeds 8 meters, sound-reflecting panels are installed above the blackboard and the teacher's place to enhance the sound of speech.
In corridors and recreational areas, noise travels long distances and is carried from one end of a building to the other, creating a critical sound situation during breaks and interfering with classroom use. To improve the acoustics in the passage areas, sound-absorbing panels with an impact-resistant coating and an enlarged format are used. Such modules can withstand accidental blows, for example, school bags, bags and satchels. In addition, they create a graphic ceiling composition that enriches the interior of utilitarian extended spaces.
For gyms and swimming pools, a booming echo is characteristic, which not only drowns out speech, but also has an extremely negative effect on the hearing aids. Physical education teachers and trainers experience gradual, irreversible hearing loss. In sports halls, ceilings are installed, wall screens made of high-strength panels that can withstand intense shock loads. In service and wet areas (swimming pools, changing rooms), these products are combined with moisture-resistant sound absorbers.
The dining room plays a multifaceted role in school life. Pupils and teachers come here not only to have a snack, but also to relax, exchange opinions, communicate in a friendly company. So that the noise does not spoil the pleasure of eating and having a pleasant conversation, special sound-absorbing panels are installed in canteens, which are highly wear-resistant and able to withstand numerous wet cleaning cycles using active detergents and disinfectants.
All the best for children
World practice shows that an effective way to create a favorable acoustic environment is the use of sound-absorbing panels. The high-quality sound-absorbing finish also reflects and diffuses daylight (of 85% of reflected sunlight, 99% is scattered). Thus, the natural illumination of the premises is improved, which is of great importance for the protection of schoolchildren's vision. Added to this is the pragmatic benefit - thanks to the excellent optical properties of the acoustic panels, the costs of artificial lighting for classrooms are reduced.
The next time you go to pick up your child from school, just look around. Go to any classroom. Listen. What do you hear? Can you hear what teachers and students are saying? How clear is the speech and do you have to strain your ear to make out the words? How high is the overall noise level? Are you under stress?
Perhaps we should all consider creating a supportive acoustic environment …
* M. Klatte and T. Lachmann "Much Ado About Learning: Acoustic Conditions in Classrooms and What They Mean for Learning." Germany, 2009
