학술논문

The Effects of Classroom Acoustic Conditions on Teachers' Health and Well-Being: A Scoping Review
Document Type
Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Reports - Research
Author
Kiri Mealings (ORCID 0000-0001-7294-5829); Lisa MaggsJoerg M. Buchholz (ORCID 0000-0001-6188-9761)
Source
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2024 67(1):346-367.
Subject
Classroom Environment
Acoustics
Health
Well Being
Teaching Conditions
Educational Research
Hearing Impairments
Speech Communication
Language
English
ISSN
1092-4388
1558-9102
Abstract
Purpose: Teachers spend a significant amount of time in classrooms, which can be noisy environments. The aim of this scoping review was to determine what is known from the literature about the effect of classroom acoustic conditions on teachers' health and well-being. Method: This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) protocol. Four bibliographic databases were searched: ERIC, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Results: Thirty-three articles were deemed relevant for the review. The most studied health aspect was teachers' vocal health. The majority of results showed higher noise levels or a higher number of students have a negative effect on teachers' health and well-being (61% and 60%, respectively), while 39% showed a negative effect of longer reverberation times. Most other results showed no effect. Conclusions: These results show that poor classroom acoustic conditions can have a negative effect on teachers' health and well-being. Therefore, creating classrooms with good acoustic conditions and controlling noise is vital. Limitations are discussed, and future research to better understand the relationship between classroom acoustic conditions and teachers' health and well-being is proposed. This future research will help in understanding the acoustic conditions that are needed to optimize teachers' health and well-being in the classroom.