Mobile Audio for Physical Education Classes

Effective communication is essential for physical education teachers to engage and teach their students. P.E. teachers work with diverse groups, often with varying language backgrounds and ability levels, in both indoor and outdoor settings.

Clear verbal and nonverbal communication build trust and respect, making students feel heard and helping them more effectively develop motor skills. It also supports in class management and delivering clearer instruction. Mobile instructional audio systems can increase communication effectiveness, boosting motivation, performance, and overall classroom connection for all students.

Instructional audio refers to wireless audio systems that evenly distribute a speaker’s voice throughout a space via an amplifier and speaker, making it easier for students to hear and comprehend a teacher’s instruction. The Lightspeed Mobile PA, is a portable, all-in-one system that provides flexibility for both indoor and outdoor use. This “grab and go” system includes a wireless microphone that teachers and students use to amplify their voices. It also includes Bluetooth technology.

During their instruction, physical education teachers frequently turn their bodies and voices away from students, making it difficult for students to hear what they’re saying. At the same time, noise from scuffling feet, bouncing balls, or chatter from other students can quickly muffle and fatigue a teacher’s voice. Just as students rely on a teacher’s voice in a traditional classroom for success, the same is true in physical education classes.

Research over the past 40 years has highlighted the critical link between hearing clearly and learning. Children need to hear at least 90 percent of what is said by their teachers to fully absorb the information, and young students, particularly those aged 6 to 9, often struggle to distinguish voices amid background noise. In educational settings–especially in physical education, where noise from activity and movement can overwhelm instruction–amplifying a teacher’s voice by 5 to 15 decibels above ambient noise helps capture students’ attention by minimizing competing sounds and movements.

The benefits extend beyond students. Researchers Joseph J. Smaldino and Carol Flexer found that amplifying teachers’ voices with instructional audio systems improves vocal endurance, reduces fatigue, and enhances voice clarity. These systems can also decrease teacher absenteeism due to voice and throat problems by 8 – 13%.

In one school, a P.E. teacher had found that adding music to activities like jump rope, square dancing, and basketball lessons motivated the children and encouraged them to move more; however, it could be difficult to communicate with students over the music. For a year, she piloted the Lightspeed Mobile PA in her K-6 classes, aiming to make classes as accessible and inclusive for her students as possible. In doing so, she was able to connect her phone via Bluetooth and stream music over the speaker. This enabled her to continue playing music without interruption, allowing her to seamlessly continue her lesson.

Instructional audio also allowed the teacher a better means to facilitate two-way communication. By sharing her wireless microphone with other students, the teacher was able to help her students engage more deeply in lessons and ensure they could be heard by their peers. (Now this can be done even more effectively with the Lightspeed Qball.) She reported that it also helped a hard-of-hearing kindergarten student understand her better, without shouting or straining her voice. The Mobile PA also allow teachers to maintain clear communication with their students if they split their class into groups.

Instructional audio units are valuable not only for physical education courses but also for a variety of other school settings. Educators can use them to make announcements at games, in lunchrooms, or in lines, among other applications. Highlighting these potential uses can help principals and school leaders recognize the versatility and relevance of these portable units across different areas of the school.

Portable instructional audio technology, such as the Mobile PA, can transform teaching and learning, helping physical education teachers overcome critical barriers to listening and supercharge their lessons.