A Scoping Review of the Effectiveness of Remote Microphones in Classrooms on Children's Listening, Learning, and Well-Being Applying the Listen to Learn for Life Assessment Framework

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this scoping review article was to understand the effectiveness of remote microphones in classrooms on listening, learning, and well-being for children aged 0–18 years. Method: This scoping review article followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. The PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) framework was used to outline the eligibility criteria. Web of Science, PsycInfo, MEDLINE, and PubMed were searched on November 17, 2025. Eligible studies were charted according to the population; the comparison (no device vs. device, device vs. device); the measure used to assess listening, learning, or well-being; the findings of the study; and the effect of the remote microphone on children's listening, learning, or well-being. Results: A total of 686 papers were returned in the search after removing duplicates. Of these, 66 papers met the criteria to be included in the review. Children with hearing loss was the most studied population, and listening was the most studied outcome. Conclusions: Remote microphones tend to provide benefit to classroom listening in all populations investigated, so they should be recommended in the classroom for children who may be struggling to listen. They can also provide learning and well-being benefits to some populations, although this was less studied and stigma could be an issue. Remote microphones were only beneficial when the person wearing the microphone was speaking. More research is needed on using remote microphones where there are multiple speakers and in group work scenarios, but their benefits in lecture-style teaching were apparent from this review article. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.34071150