NOISE POLLUTION MEANS WORSE GRADES.
The effects of environmental and classroom noise on the academic attainments of primary school children by Bridget Shield & Julie Dockrell (2007)
Paper #29 #30papers30days 🧵
The effects of environmental and classroom noise on the academic attainments of primary school children by Bridget Shield & Julie Dockrell (2007)
Paper #29 #30papers30days 🧵
Previous research into the effect of noise on children's educational attainment shows it reduces:
🎓 Grades
🧠 Memory
💪 Motivation
📚 Reading ability
Classic sources include road traffic, trains, aircraft, construction AND noisy classmates 💥
🎓 Grades
🧠 Memory
💪 Motivation
📚 Reading ability
Classic sources include road traffic, trains, aircraft, construction AND noisy classmates 💥
🛃 Shockingly, another study found that when a local airport closed, it took several years for the detrimental effects of noise to cease.
🛬 This suggests that noise deeply affects your educational trajectory.
It's like getting a stone in your shoe 20 minutes into a marathon.
🛬 This suggests that noise deeply affects your educational trajectory.
It's like getting a stone in your shoe 20 minutes into a marathon.
🏫 This particular study measured noise levels from 142 primary schools in central London and correlated them with standardised SAT scores.
Children were aged 7-11. They controlled for social factors like English as an additional language, special education needs, poverty.
Children were aged 7-11. They controlled for social factors like English as an additional language, special education needs, poverty.
✈️ RESULTS: EXTERNAL NOISE
🔊 More noise = worse grades
👧 Older kids (age 11) were most negatively affected by noise pollution. This is probably because they've been exposed longest.
🧮 Maths grades were the most affected
⚖️ Some boroughs were disproportionately worse off
🔊 More noise = worse grades
👧 Older kids (age 11) were most negatively affected by noise pollution. This is probably because they've been exposed longest.
🧮 Maths grades were the most affected
⚖️ Some boroughs were disproportionately worse off
👩🏫 INTERNAL NOISE
🔊 More noise = worse grades
👨👧👦|📚 Group work and silent reading tasks suffered most particularly - as opposed activities like sitting on the floor listening or working individually.
🏫 Noise levels in halls and corridors had no impact on SAT scores.
🔊 More noise = worse grades
👨👧👦|📚 Group work and silent reading tasks suffered most particularly - as opposed activities like sitting on the floor listening or working individually.
🏫 Noise levels in halls and corridors had no impact on SAT scores.
Why this paper matters.
• Cities are known for great noise and great inequality. Unless schools, adapt, this will perpetuate
• Education profoundly impacts a child's life outcome
• Pupils can now WFH, too. Loud or quiet homes, emptier classes are likely affecting behaviour.
• Cities are known for great noise and great inequality. Unless schools, adapt, this will perpetuate
• Education profoundly impacts a child's life outcome
• Pupils can now WFH, too. Loud or quiet homes, emptier classes are likely affecting behaviour.
Light critique.
GOOD: large 140 school sample; controls for social factors
BAD: horrific fluency: "Activities 1 and 5", "Boroughs A, B, C" defined 27 pages earlier; zero graphs; tables ALL at end, p30 onwards
BETTER IF: study quiet schools, too. Also: the people want graphs!
GOOD: large 140 school sample; controls for social factors
BAD: horrific fluency: "Activities 1 and 5", "Boroughs A, B, C" defined 27 pages earlier; zero graphs; tables ALL at end, p30 onwards
BETTER IF: study quiet schools, too. Also: the people want graphs!
📈 Edit: I found one graph in a deck online where the author Bridget Shield has shared how to improve the acoustic environment in schools. Worth a flick through:
slideplayer.com/slide/5906236/…
slideplayer.com/slide/5906236/…
Source.
Shield, B. M., & Dockrell, J. E. (2008). The effects of environmental and classroom noise on the academic attainments of primary school children. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 123(1), 133-144.
Shield, B. M., & Dockrell, J. E. (2008). The effects of environmental and classroom noise on the academic attainments of primary school children. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 123(1), 133-144.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
