Teachers' Misconceptions About Vocal Hygiene: Effects of a Brief Online Educational Program.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated whether a brief online vocal hygiene education program could correct common misconceptions regarding vocal hygiene and improve teachers' understanding of evidence-based voice care.

METHODS

A single-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was employed. Forty middle and high school teachers completed the 25-item Voice Health Knowledge Questionnaire (VHKQ) immediately before and 14 days after participating in a standardized 30-minute online educational program. Changes in total knowledge scores were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and item-level response patterns were examined to identify misconceptions showing the greatest improvement following the intervention.

RESULTS

Total VHKQ scores increased significantly from 14.60 ± 4.16 before the intervention to 21.55 ± 3.58 after the intervention (Z = -5.363, P < 0.001), with a large effect size (r = 0.84). Correct response rates increased for 24 of the 25 items. The greatest improvements were observed for misconceptions related to whispering, throat clearing, voice rest, breathing patterns, and other evidence-based vocal hygiene practices.

CONCLUSIONS

A brief online vocal hygiene education program was associated with substantial improvements in teachers' knowledge of evidence-based vocal hygiene and correction of several prevalent misconceptions. Incorporating targeted vocal hygiene education into pre-service teacher education and continuing professional development programs may represent a practical strategy for promoting healthy voice use. Further controlled studies are needed to determine whether these knowledge improvements translate into sustained behavioral changes and improved vocal outcomes.