Implementation and evaluation of a teacher intervention program on classroom communication

Abstract

Background: Media frequently report on overall work-place challenges in Swedish schools, including teachers’ working conditions, their well-being, and students’ declining results. Language is the key to success in every school subject. Therefore, optimal language learning environments are important. Poor sound environments affect teachers’ vocal health, their general well-being, and students’ performance. To provide better conditions for teachers and students, it is necessary to combine optimized room acoustics with other preventive measures such as vocal training and evidence-based tools to improve classroom communication. Teachers play a key role in the classroom and need knowledge and skills in communicative strategies to ensure first-class communication. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of an intervention program for primary-school teachers comprising strategies for enhanced language learning and interactions in the classroom, with focus on teachers’ verbal and body communication (voice, gaze, and gesture).

Methods: Teachers (n = 25) from seven schools teaching in school year 3–6 participated. Assessments were made pre/post intervention and at 5-weeks and 3-months follow-up. The assessments included teachers’ self-assessments (questionnaires) of vocal health, self-efficacy, stress, burnout, and psychosocial work-environment.

Results: The main results were significant decrease in voice problems at the 3-months follow-up and significant decrease of both stress and degree of burnout at 5-weeks follow-up. Self-efficacy score had increased significantly at 5-week follow-up.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the intervention program improves teachers’ self-reported vocal health, decreases their perception of stress, and degree of burnout whilst increasing their sense of self-efficacy in classroom management.

Keywords:

• Classroom communication
• intervention
• language interaction
• body communication
• teachers
• vocal health
• well-being

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the participants taking part in this study, to two anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly improved this article, and to Heike von Lochow for assisting with the first hearing screenings and teaching the procedure to the first author.

Disclosure statement

Viveka Lyberg-Åhlander is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of LPV.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation under Grant 2015.0087.

Notes on contributors

Suvi Karjalainen

Suvi Karjalainen is a PhD student at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology at Lund University. Her PhD project focuses on the effects of a teacher intervention program on both teachers, their students and investigates the impact of differences in the classrooms’ acoustics.

Birgitta Sahlén

Birgitta Sahlén is Professor in Speech Pathology at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Sweden. Her main research focus is on cognition and communication in normal hearing children (SLI) and children with hearing loss and language problems.

Andreas Falck

Andreas Falck received his PhD in psychology from Lund University and is currently a post-doctoral researcher at Institut Nicod in Paris, France. His research interests include attention and learning in social contexts, developmental social cognition, and statistical modeling.

Jonas Brännström

Jonas Brännström is an associate professor in audiology at Lund University in Sweden and works as a senior lecturer at the audiology and speech pathology programs. His research interests include psychoacoustics, cognition and hearing (including tinnitus), hearing rehabilitation, hearing aid outcomes, and tele-audiology.

Viveka Lyberg-Åhlander

Viveka Lyberg-Åhlander is a reg. Speech Pathologist and Assistant Professor at the department of Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University. Her researchfocus is voice and voice disorders with starting point from the teacher voice in relation to the sound environment in the classroom and the teachers’ occupational and vocal health.