Classroom Listening Conditions in Indian Primary Schools: A Survey of Four Schools.
BACKGROUND
Background noise affects the listening environment inside classrooms, especially for younger children. High background noise level adversely affects not only student speech perception but also teacher vocal hygiene. The current study aimed to give an overview of the classroom listening conditions in selected government primary schools in India.


METHODS
Noise measurements were taken in 23 classrooms of four government primary schools in southern India, using a type 2 sound level meter. In each classroom measurements were taken in occupied and unoccupied conditions. Teacher voice level was measured in the same classrooms. In addition, the classroom acoustical conditions were observed and the reverberation time for each classroom was calculated.


RESULTS
The mean occupied noise level was 62.1 dBA and 65.6 dBC, and the mean unoccupied level was 62.2 dBA and 65 dBC. The mean unamplified teacher speech-to-noise ratio was 10.6 dBA. Both the occupied and unoccupied noise levels exceeded national and international recommended levels and the teacher speech-to-noise ratio was also found to be inadequate in most classrooms. The estimated reverberation time in all classrooms was greater than 2.6 seconds, which is almost double the duration of accepted standards. In addition, observation of classrooms revealed insufficient acoustical treatment to effectively reduce internal and external noise and minimize reverberation.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study point out the need to improve the listening environment for children in government primary schools in India.
Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Gayathri
G
Sundaravadhanan
Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Heramba G
HG
Selvarajan
Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Bradley
B
McPherson
D000162:Acoustics; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012574:Schools; D013067:Speech Perception