EFFECT OF NOISE POLLUTION ON TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS IN SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOLS OF SODO TOWN, WOLAITA ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

ABSTRACT Noise is one of an environmental pollutant that is increasing very rapidly as a result of increase in commercial, industrial and social activities. This study was carried out in Sodo town in Wolaita Zone. Sodo town is one of the towns in Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) which is on the way of fast development due to large expansion of urbanization and increase in number of vehicles from time to time. These changes led the town to unlimited sound pollution which has negative effects on human life. However, noise pollution is predominant and a serious issue in Sodo town, still now no research has been conducted concerning this problem. Therefore, this research gap has motivated the researcher to conduct this study to fill the gap that observed in the study area. Generally, the aim of this study was to assess noise levels in school environment particularly secondary and preparatory schools and to find out the effects of noise on students’ academic performance. Meter was used to measure the distance of the selected schools from the main road. Based on this measurement, the distance of the main road from the classroom of Sodo Preparatory School, Sodo Secondary School and Bogale Walalu Secondary and Preparatory School was 25m, 22m and 43m respectively. The time scheduled to record noise levels from 8:00-10:00am and 1:00-3:00pm at each school continuously for four (4) days within 10minute (600’’) intervals while teaching-learning process was conducted. Digital Sound Level Meter (SLM); Model: 8928 was used to record and read the range, minimum and maximum levels of sound pressure at each school. This study was also supported by MATLAB-software to plot the graph of Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) in dB (A) versus time. For this study cross-sectional descriptive survey design was implemented in addition to the physical measurement by an instrument. The questionnaire data of this study was analyzed by SPSS Version-20. Finally, the data found from questionnaire clearly indicated that about 90% of the respondents agreed that the existence of noise pollution in the study area. 87.4% of the respondents agreed that the schools are exposed to noise pollution and 82.6% agreed that noise has the real negative effect on teaching-learning process that leads to reduced academic performance of students. In addition to questionnaire the sound level meter indicated that the maximum sound level of Sodo Preparatory School was 97.2dB (A) in the morning and 97.9dB (A) in the afternoon; Sodo Secondary School was 97.1dB (A) in the morning and 98.8dB (A) in the afternoon and Bogie Walalu Secondary and Preparatory School was 87.2dB (A) in the morning and 88.9dB (A) in the afternoon respectively. The study will act as a basis for further research to help other researchers in field of noise pollution.