Effect of external classroom noise on schoolchildren’s reading and mathematics performance: correlation of noise levels and gender

M. Papanikolaou; N. Skenteris; S.M. Piperakis

doi:10.1515/ijamh-2014-0006

Article

Effect of external classroom noise on schoolchildren’s reading and mathematics performance: correlation of noise levels and gender

M. Papanikolaou , N. Skenteris and S.M. Piperakis

Published/Copyright: May 8, 2014

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From the journal International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health Volume 27 Issue 1

Abstract

The present study investigated the effect of low, medium, and high traffic road noise as well as irrelevant background speech noise on primary school children’s reading and mathematical performance. A total of 676 participants (324 boys, 47.9% and 352 girls, 52.1%) of the 4th and 5th elementary classes participated in the project. The participants were enrolled in public primary schools from urban areas and had ages ranging from 9 to 10 years and from. Schools were selected on the basis of increasing levels of exposure to road traffic noise and then classified into three categories (Low noise: 55–66 dB, Medium noise: 67–77 dB, and High noise: 72–80 dB). We measured reading comprehension and mathematical skills in accordance with the national guidelines for elementary education, using a test designed specifically for the purpose of this study. On the one hand, children in low-level noise schools showed statistically significant differences from children in medium- and high-level noise schools in reading performance (p<0.001). On the other hand, children in low-level noise schools differed significantly from children in high-level noise schools but only in mathematics performance (p=0.001). Girls in general did better in reading score than boys, especially in schools with medium- and high-level noise. Finally the levels of noise and gender were found to be two independent factors.

Keywords: children; gender; noise; reading comprehension

Corresponding author: Professor S.M. Piperakis, BSc, PhD, Preschool Education Department, University of Thessaly, Volos 38221, Greece, E-mail: piper@uth.gr

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Received: 2014-2-5

Accepted: 2014-2-26

Published Online: 2014-5-8

Published in Print: 2015-2-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2014-0006

Keywords for this article

children; gender; noise; reading comprehension