Teachers’ Voice Problems: Exploring a Possible Solution

Abstract

A mixed methods or multi-strategy research project considered the vocal demands on teachers in UK classrooms and their ongoing requirement for help. The study was in two parts, the first being a survey through questionnaires and interviews to ascertain the extent of voice problems among teachers and those training to become teachers. The second part collected other first-hand evidence through a detailed exploration with student teachers. It drew on the writings of an actor of the nineteenth/twentieth century, F.M. Alexander, who remedied his own voice problems by considering how they were part of his total approach to activity and what he called his ‘psychophysical use’. Considering the potential of this approach is important given the lack of voice training available to many teachers.

The exploratory comparison of voice was conducted in a biomechanical laboratory where it was possible to replicate general vocal demand, to make detailed measures of voice quality, and to collect considerable quantitative data. An outline of the results is given.

The research aims to contribute towards knowledge of the teacher’s voice and to inform provision for teachers in the UK and beyond. It demonstrates that further research is warranted and what form such research could usefully take.