Abstract
Teachers across all disciplines are at elevated risk for voice disorders, yet researchers indicate that many educators lack comprehensive knowledge of behaviors that support vocal health. This study examined whether music K-12 teachers (n = 79) could accurately identify healthy and unhealthy vocal behaviors while viewing short video clips of teaching. Behaviors were classified as healthy or unhealthy a priori by a licensed speech-language pathologist with expertise in voice disorders. Some participants correctly identified drinking water and using nonverbal commands as healthy strategies, and recognized throat clearing as an unhealthy behavior. In contrast, most teachers struggled to recognize behaviors such as talking over singing, maintaining proper posture, and turning the entire body toward students when speaking rather than turning only the neck. While some participants successfully identified and rated easily observable behaviors as healthy or unhealthy, subtler behaviors were less frequently identified. These findings suggest that, although some music teachers may recognize obvious vocal health practices, others are unable to do so. Also, many were unable to identify more subtle behaviors that can influence vocal health. The results underscore the importance of incorporating explicit instruction about vocal behaviors into teacher preparation programs. Implications for both teacher training and future research examining how recognition of healthy practices translates into actual classroom behavior are discussed.
Keywords: vocal health, music teachers, vocal hygiene, voice disorders, vocal habits
