dc.description.abstract | Higher environmental noise is often a distress to schools in urban areas. This study aims to evaluate junior high school environmental noise, as well as how the students are disturbed by noise. The research includes classifying the source of environmental noise, knowing the noise interference in learning during class, and the correlation between noise and academic achievement.
A school (labeled as "L school") in Taoyuan county is selected to investigate. The data for analysis includes (1) field measurements of sound level, (2) questionnaires filled out by 520 ninth-grade students (at the age of 15 years old), (3) and academic achievement.
The data are further analyzed using the software SPSS 17.0 for windows. The results showed the highest environmental noise of the L school border inside part is near the front gate. The equivalent continuous sound level (Leq) ranges from 71.3 to 74.8 dB(A) while the peak sound level (Lp) ranges from 106.3 to 115.8 dB(A). The lowest environmental noise is near the side door instead.
In the four-floor building (called J.H building) where ninth-grade students’’ classrooms are located, the average Leq ranges from 69.9 to 72.6 dB(A).There is no significant difference between four floors, and no obvious trends in time distribution. The sound level of west side of the J.H building is higher than that measured at east side, while west side is closer to the front gate. The average Leq of west side is higher than east side by 3.2 dB(A) in the morning and 2.1 dB(A) in the afternoon.
When it comes to the sources of noise, the most annoying one is "construction noise", followed by "classmates brawling during class" and "the road traffic noise" as the second and third place. Besides, environmental noise interferes more with the classes of main subject courses, especially "social science, natural science, and math courses".
The statistical analysis showed a quite significant difference in personal noise sensitivity between two genders: the noise sensitivity is higher in female students than male ones. There is a fair degree of association between noise annoyance and personal noise sensitivity. The correlation coefficient reaches .286. There’’s also a fair degree of association between noise sensitivity and academic achievement on the subject "Chinese". The correlation coefficient is .273. In fact, personal noise sensitivity is positively correlated to academic achievement of all main subjects. The correlation coefficient is .292 between noise annoyance and disturbance during Chinese class, it is a fair degree. Meanwhile, the higher the noise annoyance is, the greater disturbance during all main subject classes it will be.
According to the results, some suggestions are as follows: Firstly, classrooms location could be arranged by means of the environmental sound level measurement results; secondly, classrooms should install appropriate noise abatement facilities to prevent noises from outside; thirdly, since the classes of "social science, natural science, and math courses" are more easily disturbed by noise, some courses which produce higher noise should be arranged to other slots on timetable to improve learning environment.
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