Researchers in sound environment design at KTH, will conduct a pilot study on students’ attitudes towards sound environments at Gantofta School
Martin Ljungdahl, postdoctoral researcher and researcher in sound environment design at KTH, Institute of Technology in Stockholm, will conduct a pilot study on sound environments at Gantofta School in Helsingborg. To find out how students’ attitudes and experience of the sound environments in open learning space differs from traditional classrooms in their school.
Martin believes that despite the health effects of sound environments being well-studied, students’ perspectives on sound environments are often missing in sound research.
Study aim
The aim of this pilot is to investigate which learning spaces and classrooms children enjoy and learn best in, according to them. Students, teachers and the principal will be included in the study, which starts in March 2025.
Study design
Students from grade 7 at Gantoftaskolan outside Helsingborg will participate in two focus groups of five students each. Two teachers and one from the management team will also be interviewed to gain a work environment and management perspective. The study will involve exercises and group interviews, compare the students’ experiences of the learning environment in the traditional classrooms and the new learning space.
Background
Today’s pedagogy is increasingly characterized by activity elements, which can negatively affect the classroom’s sound environment. Gantofta School in Helsingborg has converted a disused sports hall to create a large and predominantly open learning space.
We lack insights into the student experience of their sound environments
“Students at school have limited choices and spend their days in sound environments that can be very stressful. Even though students spend most of their day in these environments, there is a lack of deeper insight into how they experience them, something we now want to investigate”, says Martin Ljungdahl
We want to gain insights into what obstacles there are to learning and concentration in traditional classrooms and more open learning spaces.
“We know that sustainable sound environments in schools are crucial for study peace and learning. But we know less about which sound environments students actually appreciate the most. This applies above all to activity-based rooms where students have the opportunity to position themselves according to the activity they are going to perform. How do students experience them? The main reason we are conducting the study is that it is almost always adults who interpret the students. Now we want to hear the students tell us their opinions, in their own words”, says Ida Cederlund, concept developer for educational premises at Ecophon
Gantofta School is also eagerly awaiting the start of the study
A good sound environment in school is important for both students and staff. A poorer sound environment affects learning and students’ ability to focus and, in the long run, also the results. Today, many students have a greater need for study peace. With the study, we hope to gain insights into what students and teachers appreciate about different types of classrooms and how, based on the results of the study, we can create better conditions for study peace, well-being and results, says Isabell Brandt, administrative manager at Gantofta School
We look forward to sharing more about this new pilot study to investigate students’ attitudes towards sound environments later this year. Meantime if you would like to more info please contact Ida Cederlund here
More information about this in Swedish here
