Acoustics and activity noise in school classrooms in Finland

Sala, Eeva; Rantala, Leena

doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2016.08.009

Cited by 52 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Could it be so that hyperfunctional voice use had irritated the teachers' vocal organs causing poor voice quality and/or increased phonation threshold pressure the next morning, and this was why they had to increase their voice loudness? Earlier research supports this explanation: for instance, teachers whose classrooms have many voice ergonomic risk factors use higher SPLs, particularly before work, than do teachers with better voice ergonomic environments [41,42].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…The acoustic indices did not fulfill the recommendations in most of the classrooms either: reverberation time was satisfactory in 35% of the classrooms and the index for speech clarity (speech transmission index) in only 1 class. Information on classrooms is presented in more detail in an article by Sala and Rantala [30].…”

Section: Participants and Their Working Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Teachers’ Working Postures and Their Effects on the Voice

Rantala

Sala

Kankare

2018

Folia Phoniatr Logop

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Objective: To evaluate associations between voice and working postures used during teaching. Methods: A researcher assessed 30 teachers’ typical working postures of the torso, head, shoulders, upper back, and arms by observing and/or asking questions about them. Teachers’ options to rest and to adjust furniture according to their needs were also elicited. Voice symptoms were evaluated through 2 self-assessment forms. Fundamental frequency, sound pressure level (SPL), and alpha ratio were calculated from voice samples recorded before, during, and after teaching. Results: The head was most typically in an unergonomic posture while speaking (in 60% of participants). Other frequently used unergonomic postures were hunched upper back (55%), raised shoulders (46%), and twisted torso (43%). Head and torso twisted and arms upheld were associated with specific voice symptoms and head postures and hunched upper back with voice use. The number of postures was also connected with voice use: if the teachers used over 3 unergonomic postures, their SPL was higher and the voice broke more often than in those with a lower number of postures. Conclusion: Unergonomic postures during speaking affect the voice. It is important to evaluate working postures as part of voice ergonomic assessment in voice patients.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Section: Participants and Their Working Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teachers’ Working Postures and Their Effects on the Voice

Rantala

Sala

Kankare

2018

Folia Phoniatr Logop

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“…In education, the reverberation time, speech transmission index, and background noise have major impacts on acoustic quality [16][17][18]. However, acoustical issues for coaches deal with interior noise because of side wall vibration, back area noise, and floor sound transmission loss [19].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acoustical Renovation of University Multipurpose Halls: The Case of Lala Mustafa Paşa Hall

Alibaba

Ozdeniz

2019

Sustainability

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Eastern Mediterranean University’s Lala Mustafa Paşa hall is a multipurpose auditorium with conflicting functions. It is used for lectures, graduation ceremonies, music performances, shows, and sports. Thus, it is necessary to provide both speech intelligibility and quality sound. Many complaints were made regarding the long reverberation and echoes in the hall. To find the optimum solution for all of these conflicting uses, a survey of the acoustic parameters for music and speech was conducted, the criteria for which were identified. Measurements of these parameters were taken for the unoccupied hall. It was found that the acoustic conditions for both speech and music were in a critical condition in the hall. A simulation program was used to find a suitable solution, and various solutions were tested. The optimum solution was found to be the use of fireproof pyramidal melamine plates on the ceiling, and melamine plates with fireproof textile on the front surface with an air cavity on the walls at the rear. The long sidewalls at various levels on the tribunes were kept untreated. These measures satisfy the criteria for both music and speech without disrupting the sports activities.

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“…Noise during the delivery of lessons consists mainly of children’s and teachers’ talking and activities, such as moving furniture, handling materials, and noise from devices used in teaching. In recent studies this kind of noise and its effects have been investigated separately from background noise and are referred to as activity noise [1, 4]. Although activity noise is not continuous in the same way as background noise, teachers’ voices nevertheless react to it.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research has shown consistently that elementary school classrooms are a noisy environment [1-3]. Noise during the delivery of lessons consists mainly of children’s and teachers’ talking and activities, such as moving furniture, handling materials, and noise from devices used in teaching.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between Activity Noise, Voice Parameters, and Voice Symptoms among Female Teachers

Pirilä

Ansamaa

et al. 2017

Folia Phoniatr Logop

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Objective: Our interest was in how teachers’ voices behave during the delivery of lessons in core subjects (e.g., mathematics, science, etc.). We sought to evaluate the relationship between voice sound pressure level (SPL), vocal fundamental frequency (F₀), voice symptoms, activity noise, and differences therein during the first and the last lessons in core subjects of the day. Patients and Methods: The participants were 24 female elementary school teachers. Voice symptoms were evaluated by questionnaire. The data were recorded on 2 portable voice accumulators (VoxLog) from the first and last lessons of the day. The versions of accumulators differed by frequency weighting; therefore, the analysis and the results of noise and voice SPL were treated separately: unweighted (group 1) and A-weighted (group 2). Results: Difference in voice SPL followed difference in activity noise. F₀ increased between the first and last lessons. Correlations were found between differences in the noise and the voice symptoms of tiredness and dryness. Irritating mucus was associated with high F₀ during the first lesson. Conclusion: An apparent increase in voice loading due to the activity noise was observed during lessons in core subjects. Collaboration between specialists in voice and acoustics and teachers and pupils is needed to reduce this voice loading.

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Acoustics and activity noise in school classrooms in Finland

Cited by 52 publications

References 44 publications

Teachers’ Working Postures and Their Effects on the Voice

Teachers’ Working Postures and Their Effects on the Voice

Acoustical Renovation of University Multipurpose Halls: The Case of Lala Mustafa Paşa Hall

Relationship between Activity Noise, Voice Parameters, and Voice Symptoms among Female Teachers

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