Effects of student noise on student teachers’ stress experiences, concentration and error–correction performance

Abstract

Student noise can affect teachers’ stress experience and work performance. Two experimental studies were conducted to examine these effects in more detail. Based on Lazarus’ transactional stress model and the maximal adaptability theory, we assumed an increase in stress experience due to noise and stimulating effects of noise up to a point of maximal adaption before performance drops. The first experiment comprised 74 and the second experiment included 104 student teachers from a German university that were randomly assigned to one of three noise conditions. Participants were asked to complete a concentration test and correct a dictation. Results from analyses of variance were in support of our hypotheses. In both experiments, noise exposure increased stress experience. The first experiment showed positive effects and the second experiment negative effects of noise on participants’ error correction. The results are discussed with respect to school noise affecting teachers’ mental health and work performance.

Keywords:

• Student noise
• concentration
• error correction
• stress
• student teachers

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants for taking part in the experiments under difficult conditions.

Ethical approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the ethic commission of the University of Passau.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, R. T., upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.