Every day, many LSHS students tune out from the natural, chaotic sounds of the classroom. This leads to this question: Do students and teachers find using headphones makes time in class more productive?
Many students say that they do.
“I’m really attached to my headphones. I love my headphones,” junior Brian Tilghman said. “It really does help me a lot.”
The use of headphones, specifically during independent working time, helps many LSHS students. Based on research conducted through interviews and internet statistics, most students believe they thrive when headphones are allowed and that they “lock in” better with them.
Differing opinions from two teachers
Andrea Ancich, a family and consumer sciences teacher, rated student attachment to headphones as a “20 out of 10” and allows their use only when they are turned down low enough for students to still hear her.
Ancich believes headphones can help some students focus but acknowledges the challenge of multitasking with them. She plays low-key music, such as “hipster barbecue radio” on Pandora, to aid her concentration when she is in her classroom and during her classes.
Ancich supports exceptions to the Off and Away/No Headphone rule during academic time but emphasizes the importance of hearing instructions. She admits that seeing students use headphones while she is actively teaching can make her feel disrespected, as it implies a lack of engagement with her teaching.
“I think it prepares kids for the real world, for the adult real world, because you don’t get to listen to headphones all the time. Could you imagine if I got to listen to headphones while I was trying to teach? Wouldn’t work,” Ancich said.
On the other hand, LSHS social studies teacher Marcus Merrifield challenges our idea that headphones are beneficial. He thinks the no-headphone rule is the perfect approach to lessen electronic distractions and the rise in electronic usage.
“I think that we have a terrible problem with how electronics have kind of taken over cigarettes as one of the most addictive things in teens’ lives,” Merrifield said. “I don’t know if it helps them…I think it has more to do with like, feeling comfort than it is about help. I also think that students are terrified to think their own thoughts, so if they can have music, then they can avoid thinking their own thoughts.”
While there is truth in the statement, wearing headphones benefits students despite the fact they can be used as a coping mechanism.
Do studies show the efficacy of headphones in school?
Studies show that most teenagers regularly listen to music through headphones. With “80% of 13- to 18-year-old individuals” using headphones for one to three hours daily. As reported by a study in PubMedCentral
Research by an educational headphones supplier, Encore Data Products suggests that “Headphones can be a great tool for promoting focus and concentration in the classroom, but they should be used in moderation.” That same research also states overuse can cause students to become too reliant on and unable to concentrate without them.
This proves headphones can be a valuable tool in the classroom when it comes to focus; however, finding a balance is essential to ensure that they are used as tools, not a crutch or distraction. This raises the question of how LSHS students feel about the rules limiting headphone use in class.
Student perspectives on the no-headphone rule
The no-headphone rule is a controversial topic among students, with feelings all over the board on the rule. However, one primary feeling among the majority of students is a negative feeling against the rule, with 26 out of 73 respondents answering with the harshest option, “I hate the rule” when prompted.
“I think it’s kind of dumb. I understand, like, in some spaces, like, if the teacher is teaching a class, like we’re getting notes and everything like that, but if it’s working by yourself, like, I need my headphones. I need a like, vibe, you know?” senior Haddy Ceesay said.
Overall, headphones can be helpful for the majority of students, but this comes with some challenges related to teacher opinions on using headphones. While for many headphone use during class is not detrimental to their learning, for teachers it is more of a respect issue, meaning that when the teacher is talking, put them away for a bit and focus on the learning.
