Acoustical Environments in Open Classrooms

The concept of unpartitioned open classrooms is gaining attention in schools where eduacational reform, such as team teaching, is to be introduced in Japan. The proposed architecture raises concern about poor acoustical conditions, however. We measured noise and surveyed teachers in 3 elementary schools to determine open-classroom acoustics. Noise in open classrooms exceeded the Japanese standard of 50dBA and made it difficult for many students learning to read or listening or understanding new material. Teachers also reported poor classroom acoustics in questionnaires. Poor open-classroom acoustics thus adversely affect both teachers and students, pointing out the need for architects and those involved in building schools to seriously consider noise costrol.