Learning and interacting in noisy classrooms: what background noise measures and subjective teacher perceptions tell us about the challenges for students who are hard of hearing

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

The negative impact of noisy classrooms can impede academic performance for even typically hearing children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the impact of noisy classrooms on the social and academic experiences of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, who are increasingly educated alongside their hearing peers. First, background noise levels were measured in 11 kindergarten-Grade 7 classrooms in which children with hearing loss were placed, during the first 1½ hours of one school day. Based on the ongoing activities and background noise levels, predictions were made as to when the children would likely experience the most and least adverse listening conditions. Second, teachers were interviewed to obtain their perspectives of the learning and socialization experiences of the children with hearing loss. Overall, there was striking consistency between the predicted difficulties based on objective acoustic measures and perceived difficulties based on teachers’ subjective perspectives. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed the following major themes concerning the students with hearing loss: difficulty hearing instruction; missing out on social communication with peers; and difficulty recognizing and managing transitions. Overall, these findings suggest that background noise in elementary school classrooms negatively impacts listening, learning, and social interaction for students with hearing loss.