Reported Voice Difficulties in Student Teachers: A Questionnaire Survey

Abstract

As professional voice users, teachers are particularly at risk of abusing their voices and developing voice disorders during their career. In spite of this, attention paid to voice care in the initial training and further professional development of teachers is unevenly spread and insufficient. This article describes a questionnaire survey of 171 trainee teachers at the end of their Postgraduate Certificate in Education year that included the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) (Jacobson et al., 1997). The survey aimed to identify the prevalence and types of voice problems experienced by students during their teaching practice and to relate these to previous history and to the area of the curriculum they were teaching. The analysis suggests that over a third of trainees suffer from voice difficulties on teaching practice and that one student in 12 was classified as having a moderate handicap as defined by the VHI. Trends of symptoms particular to individual curricular areas appear to be a fruitful area for further study.

Biopsychosocial impact of the voice in relation to the psychological features in female student teachers

“…Although the participants were very young (18.8 years), the impact of age in the VHI scores does not seem to be relevant since the VHI is an instrument that has proved to be reliable in identifying the degree of vocal handicap regardless age, gender or disease type [36][37][38]. Although the results were in line with studies on professional teachers and standardized tests were used, the fact that participation was mandatory might have influenced the results.…”

The Teaching Performer: A Survey of Assets Versus Choices in Voice Use

“…5,7,8 Still, other contemporary studies seem to support the general estimation that awareness may not dependably result in change for individual patterns of voice hygiene or conservative voice use by professional singers, student singers, or singing teachers. 9,21 Preservice voice risk assessment and hygienic training, 22-26 along with speech training for singers who teach, 6,10,27,28 is also indicated as needed in much of the current literature. Yet, to date, singing voice training programs include cursory training in these necessary skills for balancing the speaking/singing voice use of Teaching Performers in active practice.…”

Opettajaopiskelijoiden äänioireet ja niiden yhteys koettuun psykososiaaliseen haittaan sekä arvioon omasta äänenlaadusta – eri opettajankoulutusalojen vertailu

“…Jopa kolmanneksella opettajaopiskelijoista äänioireita on todettu esiintyvän säännöllises-ti (mm. Fairfield & Richards, 2007;Thomas, Kooijman, Cremers & de Jong, 2006) ja viidesosalla on todettu orgaanisia eli elimellisiä muutoksia ääntöelimistössä (Simberg, 2004, s. 25). Opettajaopiskelijoilla on todettu esiintyvän enemmän äänioireita kuin muilla opiskelijoilla (Simberg, Sala & Rönnemaa, 2004), ja opiskeluaikaisten äänioireiden on todettu viittaavaan suurempaan riskiin kokea äänioi-reita myös myöhemmin työelämässä (Thomas ym., 2006).…”