Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa

Reenen, Coralie A Van; Karusseit, Catherine

doi:10.4102/sajcd.v64i1.550

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…A systematic review with reference to the South African context, 39 published in 2017, analysed the effect of noise on children with learning, sensory, or language disabilities, also taking into account the guidelines available in other countries. Learners with any kind of impairment are usually more disadvantaged by noise in the classroom.…”

Section: Learning or Language Disabilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Classroom acoustics: Listening problems in children

et al. 2019

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The acoustic quality of classrooms is crucial for children’s listening skills and consequently for their learning. Listening abilities in kids are still developing, and an environment with inadequate acoustic characteristics may create additional problems in speech perception and phonetic recognition. Background noise or reverberation may cause auditory processing problems and greater cognitive effort. There are also other elements which can make difficulty in listening and understanding in noisy environments an even more serious problem, such as learning disabilities, mild to severe hearing loss or bilingualism. Therefore, it is important to improve the acoustic quality of the classrooms, taking into account the specific needs of children in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and reverberation time, in order to ensure a proper quality of listening. The aim of this work is to analyse, through the review of previous studies, the impact that the acoustic of classrooms has on children’s listening skills and learning activities.

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Section: Learning or Language Disabilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…58 For this reason, not only hearing-impaired children, but also children with visual impairment may need a clearer auditory signal. 39…”

Section: Learning or Language Disabilitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Classroom acoustics: Listening problems in children

et al. 2019

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“…Of the studies on teaching and learning in the context of disability, the majority focused on inclusive facilities. For example, Reenen and Karusseit (2017) identified the ideal ambient level of a classroom for children with sensory, language and learning impairments. Some of these studies reflected on improvements to school facilities.…”

Section: Thematic Categoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dealing with difference: A scoping review of disability in education in South Africa

McKenzie¹,

Watermeyer²,

Meyerson³

2021

Systematic Reviews of Research in Basic Education in South Africa

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Systematic Reviews of Research in Basic Education in South Africa racial inequity, limited educational access and, of course, segregation of children with disabilities. It also recognised that disability was one of many barriers to learning that required urgent attention. In order to achieve these goals, the vision of an inclusive education system was adopted -a dispensation in which all children would learn together within a seamless system of support that would address not only disability but also a range of barriers to learning arising from poverty, inequality and other social conditions (Department of Education [DoE], 2001).Regrettably however, it is no exaggeration to say that currently children and youth with disabilities face a crisis of education. In South Africa, the national prevalence rate of disability among 5-to 9-year-olds is 10.8%, while in the 10 to 14 age group it is 4.1%, and 2.6% for 15-to 19-year-olds, which comes to a total of 718 409 children of school-going age who have disabilities according to the census data (Statistics South Africa, 2014). However, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) (2016) notes that there are 117 477 learners with special needs in their programmes (Department of Basic Education, 2016), some 600 000 less than would be expected according to the census. Furthermore, even those who are in school do not experience success on par with their non-disabled peers. According to the DBE National Senior Certificate (NSC) 2018 Examination Report (Department of Basic Education, 2018), 624 733 learners wrote matric in 2018, of which 3 856 were learners with special educational needs -that is 0,6% of the total, a figure completely out of line with disability prevalence, even when one factors in that children with intellectual disability are unlikely to be following the NSC route. Given the current crisis, and the fact that in 2001, the EWP6 set a 20-year target to achieve its stipulated goals, this chapter on education of children with disabilities is timely as the 2021 deadline approaches, and the progress toward these goals can be critically assessed.At time of writing, research work in disability and education in South Africa remains severely challenged by a lack of sufficiently specific baseline data in key areas, beginning with locality and prevalence of forms of childhood disability. Further, available research data on a variety of issues regarding disability in education is patchy and incoherent, leaving both scope and need for a substantial, integrated future research agenda. While theoretical ideas from the global arena are of great use, locally specific knowledge, such as that pertaining to cultural issues in disability inclusion, issues in teacher training, or the local availability of assistive technology and accessible learning and teaching materials, is essential. Thus, part of our aim here is the identification of strategically important gaps in our understanding, to inform a research agenda with developmental relevance.

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“…Regardless of classroom heterogeneity due to students with special needs, noise surveys have found sound levels in classrooms that can be considered harmful (Mealings, 2016). This kind of noise annoys children and adolescents and impairs students' cognition and learning (Klatte et al, 2013;Shield et al, 2010;Stansfeld & Clark, 2015;Van Reenen & Karusseit, 2017;Woolner & Hall, 2010). Hence, noise reduction and prevention are of interest to students and teachers.…”

Section: Classroom Noise and Academic Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…These three aspects (see also Sikström & Söderlund, 2008;Van Reenen & Karusseit, 2017;Zentall, 2005) must be considered in future research (Figure 2). Accordingly, when deciding whether to provide TD students and students with special needs with NC headphones during class, teachers may be faced with the following questions: Are NC headphones conducive to learning?…”

Section: Relevance Of Noise Cancellation For Td Students and Students With Special Needs: Implications For Future Research And Educationamentioning

confidence: 99%

Academic benefits of wearing noise-cancelling headphones during class for typically developing students and students with special needs: A scoping review

Kulawiak

2021

Cogent Education

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Classroom noise impairs students' cognition and learning. At a first glance, it seems useful to prevent the negative effects of noise on academic learning by wearing noise-cancelling (NC) headphones during class. The literature and guidelines emphasize the academic benefits of wearing NC headphones (decreased auditory distraction, increased concentration, learning improvement, and decreased distress). These benefits are particularly expected for students with special needs. None of the recommendations to wear NC headphones during class refer to any empirical studies, indicating a potential research gap and lack of evidence. Therefore, the question arises: Is there any empirical evidence supporting academic benefits of wearing NC headphones during class for typically developing students or students with special needs? A total of 13 empirical studies (quantitative and qualitative) were identified through a systematic scoping review of the existing literature. A wide range of outcomes (cognition, learning, academic performance, behaviour, and emotions) were reported related to the use of NC headphones. Most of the studies refer to specific groups of students with special needs (learning disabilities, autism, ADHD, etc.). In view of the limited number of studies, small sample sizes, and lack of replication studies, all studies give the impression of being pilot studies on the academic benefits of wearing NC headphones. The

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Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa

Cited by 10 publications

References 38 publications

Classroom acoustics: Listening problems in children

Classroom acoustics: Listening problems in children

Dealing with difference: A scoping review of disability in education in South Africa

Academic benefits of wearing noise-cancelling headphones during class for typically developing students and students with special needs: A scoping review

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