A scoping review of the effects of classroom acoustic conditions on primary school children's mental wellbeing. Issue 4 (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mealings, Kiri
• Is Part Of: Building acoustics. Volume 29:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 529
• Page End: 542
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: Wellbeing -- quality of life -- classroom acoustics -- noise -- reverberation -- children; Soundproofing -- Periodicals; Architectural acoustics -- Periodicals; Acoustical engineering -- Periodicals; Acoustical engineering; Architectural acoustics; Soundproofing; Periodicals; 693.834
• DOI: 10.1177/1351010X221117899
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-010X

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review was to systematically map research on the effect of classroom acoustic conditions on children's mental wellbeing and identify existing gaps in knowledge to inform future research. This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR protocol. A comprehensive search of four online databases (ERIC, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) was conducted using the search term classroom AND (acoustic* OR noise OR reverb*) AND ("mental health" OR emotion OR wellbeing OR "quality of life" OR anxiety OR depression). Peer-reviewed papers were included if they were written in English, included children in the primary school age range (i.e. 5–12 years), and included a measure of children's mental wellbeing. Six papers met the criteria to be included in the review. Overall, this review suggests that poor classroom acoustic conditions can negatively affect children's mental wellbeing. Given the small number of studies, future research suggestions are proposed to fill current gaps in knowledge.