Activity-based acoustic situations in primary schools: Analyzing classroom noise and listening effort

This study introduces the concept of activity-based acoustic situations in primary schools, which describe the everyday sound environment in classrooms. During a series of noise measurements in seven German primary schools, differences in noise parameters and subjective listening effort, as assessed by questionnaires, were investigated across the activity-based acoustic situations. Classroom noise was analyzed for sound pressure level (SPL), A-weighted SPL, loudness, and sharpness. The results showed statistically significant differences in average loudness and A-weighted SPL between the activity-based acoustic situations, with silent work yielding 55.48 dB(A), student-teacher interaction 65.13 dB(A), group work 67.44 dB(A), and breakfast break in the classroom 69.34 dB(A). All loudness parameters, SPL, A-weighted SPL, and loudness, showed higher values for first grade than for fourth grade supporting that noise levels decrease with increasing age. Subjective listening effort, as assessed by questionnaires, did not differ significantly between activity-based acoustic situations. This suggests that the questionnaire may not have been suited to evaluate subjective listening effort for the age group investigated. The present study highlights the importance of activity-based assessment of classroom noise to better represent the classroom sound environment.