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Description
Children learn in complex environments, often marked by high levels of background noise that is largely generated by students themselves and inadequate acoustic conditions. Young primary school children are particularly vulnerable to these conditions due to immature selective attention abilities, with even greater risk for those with additional learning needs or hearing difficulties. Over the past decades, models have been proposed to explain how auditory, cognitive, and acoustical factors interact in speech perception. However, many classroom activities affected by noise do not rely on listening. To address this issue, a structural equation model was developed to simultaneously examine how individual (audiological and cognitive) and environmental factors (noise exposure and room acoustics) jointly contribute to children’s susceptibility to noise interference, as reflected in the irrelevant speech effect (ISE). Data were collected from a stratified sample of 465 children aged 7–10 years. Preliminary findings indicate that ISE is primarily driven by acoustic conditions, particularly speech clarity (C50). Chronic noise exposure also contributes, whereas audiological factors show minimal influence. The pattern of relationships varies with students’ age. The findings underscore the need to consider individual and environmental factors jointly, adopting an integrated approach to better understand and mitigate the impact of noise on children’s learning.