Lit Review- Effect of Sound-Field Amplification on Children in Primary School

Source: Mealings, K. (2022). A Review of the Effect of Classroom Sound-Field Amplification on Children in Primary School. American Journal of Audiology, 31(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_aja-21-00240

LEARN Brief and Infographic Credits: n/a

Overview: 

The researcher provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the effects of sound field amplification on children in primary schools. Twenty-seven articles were identified from a systematic review of four on-line data bases and from references in the initial 21 relevant articles. The studies included typically developing children and a range of children with developmental difficulties and disabilities. The author established five categories for the findings from the articles as follows:

1. Speech perception
2. Listening comprehension and auditory analysis
3. Language outcomes
4. Academic outcomes, and
5. Behavior

A variety of measures were used in the studies including assessments, classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires.

Key Insights: 

In this extensive literature review, the author scrutinizes 27 studies focused on the impact of sound field amplification on primary school students, including those with developmental difficulties. Findings, categorized under speech perception, listening comprehension, language outcomes, academic outcomes, and behavior, generally indicate a positive influence of sound field amplification on children’s listening and learning abilities. However, the author also highlights that these benefits can be undermined in classrooms with longer reverberation times or those utilizing open plan designs.

Action Steps:

The author concluded that sound field amplification systems had overall positive effects in each of the five categories and can benefit children’s listening and learning. Qualifying conditions that do impact these positive effects were the acoustic conditions of classrooms that had long reverberation times and open plan spaces. Knowing this, schools ought to prioritize sound quality when designing their classrooms and other learning spaces to better enhance student learning.

Full Study: https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2022_AJA-21-00240