Student activity noise is the dominant sound source in primary school learning environments. While this noise reflects the dynamic and interactive behavior of young learners, and can potentially enhance social interactions and peer learning, it can also become overwhelming, disrupting the perception of the teacher’s message and negatively affecting students’ well-being and concentration. The levels of student activity noise in the classroom may vary based on several factors, including students' age, acoustic characteristics of the room, and the type of lesson. This study investigates how student activity levels and the signal-to-noise ratio change according to these factors, aiming to establish a relationship between classroom acoustics and the dynamic behaviour of its occupants. Active lessons were monitored in five primary schools in Ferrara and Padova, Italy, involving over twenty-five classes. Sound levels in occupied classrooms were analyzed using Gaussian Mixture Models to divide between teacher’s speech and student activity levels. The findings of this study aim to clarify the connection between lesson types and room acoustic parameters for different students’ ages, with the goal of informing the design of more effective learning environments.
ASSESSING SOUND LEVELS OF STUDENT ACTIVITY IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CLASSROOMS
Visentin C
Primo
;Prodi NSecondo
2025
Abstract
Student activity noise is the dominant sound source in primary school learning environments. While this noise reflects the dynamic and interactive behavior of young learners, and can potentially enhance social interactions and peer learning, it can also become overwhelming, disrupting the perception of the teacher’s message and negatively affecting students’ well-being and concentration. The levels of student activity noise in the classroom may vary based on several factors, including students' age, acoustic characteristics of the room, and the type of lesson. This study investigates how student activity levels and the signal-to-noise ratio change according to these factors, aiming to establish a relationship between classroom acoustics and the dynamic behaviour of its occupants. Active lessons were monitored in five primary schools in Ferrara and Padova, Italy, involving over twenty-five classes. Sound levels in occupied classrooms were analyzed using Gaussian Mixture Models to divide between teacher’s speech and student activity levels. The findings of this study aim to clarify the connection between lesson types and room acoustic parameters for different students’ ages, with the goal of informing the design of more effective learning environments.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
