The Future Classroom Lab, collaborating with Ecophon, have launched a teacher wellbeing survey around the topic of sound in schools. The particular focus is on the impact of classroom acoustics on educators’ work, physical and mental health.
If we want schools to provide children with the best possible preparation for life, we need to ensure optimal working conditions for the teachers. They are schools’ most valuable assets and the primary actors who guide pupils on their journey to knowledge and self-improvement.
With this survey we want to hear teachers’ thoughts on their working environment, particularly with aspect to sound and acoustics. We are looking forward to learning more about the impact of different learning activities and teaching styles on noise levels in the classroom. In addition, we are also investigating the effect of various types of education equipment on acoustics.
Lastly, we go outside the perimeter of the schoolyard and examine the impact of the school’s location within the city on classroom ambiance. This special focus on acoustics stems from the relationship between school innovation and physical and mental well-being. While we promote innovative teaching and learning methods, we want to stay attentive to the space design changes that might be required. to ensure educators have the new conditions needed to adopt these new methods.
Supporting 21st Century learning environments and their occupants
When it comes to education, there is a the prevailing understanding in the 21st century. Students should be given the opportunity to be more active in class, to express themselves more often, to discuss and debate with their peers. This suggests that the future of schools lies in a direction which involves even more activity and noise. How can teachers cope with this? How do we upgrade educational environments to respond to the demands of the future while also taking care of schools’ most valuable assets – its teachers.
This survey is being targeted among school teachers from across Europe. We want to hear the school occupants views regarding sound in schools and the impact of noise on their classroom practice. More about the overview and the Future Classroom lab here.
How teachers can participate
These surveys are open until 14th May 2023. Teachers’ can share their experience here in any of the following languages:
Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish
“European Schoolnet continues to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to produce insights and develop recommendations that support the transformation of education in Europe for the better. The teacher survey “Sound in Schools and its Impact on Learning and Teachers’ Wellbeing”, launched in February 2023 in collaboration with the Future Classroom Lab’s long-standing industry partner Saint-Gobain Ecophon, is an example of such collaboration. We are determined to continue working with valuable counterparts to promote a more inclusive and innovative education in Europe.”
Marc Durando
Executive Director of European Schoolnet.Interested in a previous report which found that far too many European schools neglect their sound environment? Click here to read more about how it found that noise harms children’s learning, health and creates inequalities for students. More schools should measure noise levels and design according to acoustic standards to provide optimal and inclusive learning environments.
