Noise in schools : a psychophysical research study to invetigate the effets of noise on teachers

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Enthält die Beiträge:
Helpless at the mercy of school noise? : The role of self-efficacy in teachers' noise-related coping DOI 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.102922
Silence please! : How school noise affects the well-being of school teachers DOI 10.1080/10803548.2025.2544444


Noise is a significant stress factor in the teaching profession, with evidence indicating its impact on teachers’ behaviour and well-being. This dissertation engages with the findings of two interrelated studies that highlight the multifaceted effects of school noise on teachers, based on data collected in real classroom situations and through self-assessments using questionnaires. The objective of the two present studies was to provide schools with adequate and practical recommendations to address school noise, focusing on both reducing noise exposure and strengthening teachers’ ability to cope. Given this objective, the prevailing research question was whether and to what extent classroom noise levels and school-specific noise sources influence teachers’ noise perception and, as a result, their experienced strain, depending on personality traits such as noise sensitivity, noise-related self-efficacy, and coping. In Study 1, noise levels were objectively measured during classroom teaching, followed by a teacher’s survey assessing perceived loudness, annoyance, and strain. Results demonstrate that even noise levels below legal occupational safety thresholds can cause considerable annoyance and strain. Notably, verbal student behaviour emerged as a key source of noise annoyance. Based on a large-scale online survey with German school teachers, Study 2 examined the intercorrelation between noise sensitivity, noise-related self-efficacy, noise-related coping, and perceived strain using structural equation modelling (SEM). While individual noise sensitivity played only a minor role in terms of annoyance and coping, noise-related self-efficacy was found to be a key predictor for annoyance and behavioural coping. At the same time, none of the three found coping styles effectively predicted noise-related strain, underscoring the complexity of psychological responses to noise in school environments. Important implications can be derived from both studies. First, the findings
indicate the need for more adequate occupational noise regulations for schools, as "ear-safe" volumes can still lead to psychological strain. Second, the results underscore the importance of targeted noise prevention and intervention strategies in schools enhancing teachers’ noise-related self-efficacy and coping. This dissertation contributes novel insights into the dynamics of noise perception, offering both empirical evidence and practical implications for future research and occupational health and safety practice at schools to improve working conditions and teachers’ ability to cope.