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Assessing Aircraft Noise Conditions Affecting Student Learning–Case Studies (2017)

Chapter: 5 Conclusions and Recommendations

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Suggested Citation:"5 Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Assessing Aircraft Noise Conditions Affecting Student Learning–Case Studies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24941.
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Page 38
Suggested Citation:"5 Conclusions and Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Assessing Aircraft Noise Conditions Affecting Student Learning–Case Studies. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24941.
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Page 38

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Chapter 5 – Conclusions and Recommendations 37 5 Conclusions and Recommendations We offer the following conclusions and recommendations for future research.  5.1 Findings The classroom observation methodology we developed for this study was sufficient to draw inferences about the  relationship between aircraft noise and various teacher behaviors:     For the onset of events, all the internal and external noise metrics examined showed associations with the onset of teacher voice‐masking events. All of the internal noise metrics, with the exception of internal TA 55 showed associations with the onset of teacher voice‐raising events, yet none of the external noise metrics showed associations with the onset of teacher voice‐raising events.  For the number of events, both internal and external NA show associations with teacher voice‐masking and teacher voice‐raising. External TA metrics showed no associations with number of teacher voice‐masking events or teacher voice‐raising events. Internal TA metrics showed associations with the number of voice‐ raising events but not voice‐masking events.  To some extent, we might expect to observe similar associations of all the internal noise metrics and of all the external noise metrics, given the high correlations between noise metrics.  External noise seems to matter even when we control for internal noise. This means that regardless of how loud it is inside, when noise levels outside increase, even in a well‐attenuated10 building, we are seeing teachers react. The classroom observation methodology did not offer significant conclusions regarding the effects of aircraft noise  on student behaviors. The researchers believe the methodology would need to be modified to include longer  observation periods and/or more students.  The teacher survey findings suggest the following:   Many of the schools included in the teacher survey can be considered to have low to moderate levels of aircraft noise exposure. Schools classified as having an external LAeq above 55 dBA ranged in exposure from 55 to 69 dBA, with few participants experiencing exposure greater than 65 dBA. The survey indicates that even at these levels of aircraft noise exposure, teachers are perceiving an impact on teaching activities and student behavior, as well as noise annoyance responses. The findings suggest that even moderate levels of aircraft noise exposure are impacting on children’s learning experiences.  Despite the small sample size and the lack of teachers from schools with high levels of aircraft noise exposure, the validity of the survey is demonstrated by the associations observed, as hypothesized, between external LAeq at school and key outcomes such as noise annoyance, interference with school activities, and student and teacher behavior. 5.2 Suggestions for Future Studies A preliminary conclusion that can be drawn from the present data is that classroom dynamics, particularly teacher  behavior, are associated with fluctuations in external noise. Given the well documented effects of chronic noise  exposure from airport noise on children’s reading acquisition, an important next step would be to test whether  10 While there is no standard definition for “well‐attenuated,” it is used in this context to indicate any structure  that provides appreciable sound‐dampening to external noise. 

Chapter 5 – Conclusions and Recommendations 38 changes in noise‐related teaching behavior (e.g., noise masking, voice‐raising) can account for some of the noise‐ reading relations.  The relationships between the various noise metrics and teacher outcomes examined here need to be replicated in  larger and more varied samples and in airports of varying operations. It would also be worth examining differences  between mitigated and non‐mitigated classrooms.   Note the levels of noise exposure herein are low to moderate. To derive exposure‐effect relationships between  these noise metrics at school and teaching outcomes, schools with higher levels of noise exposure that had not  been mitigated would need to be studied.   However, this study highlights that at a policy level it is important to also address moderate levels of noise  exposure at school, given the associations observed in the current study between noise exposure and teacher  masking and voice‐raising events.   The relationship between noise exposure at school and student distraction is worthy of further study. In this study,  one observer was tasked with observing each student in the class for two minutes. This approach resulted in only a  few student distraction events being observed. This means that if future studies wanted to assess student  distraction they would either need to increase the number of observers, so more than one student in the class  could be observed at a time and/or observe classes for a longer period of time. Another method that may prove  effective for examining student distraction in relation to noise events might be video coding of classroom sessions.  The relationships between the various noise metrics and teacher outcomes examined in the teacher survey need  to be replicated in different and larger samples and in different contexts. Particular focus should be given to  including teachers from schools with higher levels of aircraft noise exposure.   With sufficient data, future work could also investigate how teacher reactions to noise (e.g., annoyance, perceived  interference with learning) influence teacher/student behavior.   Another issue warranting follow‐up research is whether teacher judgments about interference with teaching  activity are related to actual students behaviors in the classroom as well as student test scores. 

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TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Web-Only Document 34: Assessing Aircraft Noise Conditions Affecting Student Learning–Case Studies attempts to determine how the behaviors of students and teachers are affected by aircraft noise exposure. The report identifies metrics that define the level and characteristics of aircraft noise that impact student achievement. It also develops guidance for use by decision makers on how to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on student achievement. The report is accompanied by a brochure on the Effects of Aircraft Noise on Student Learning.

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