NOISE AND VOCAL DOSES ACQUIRED BY AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MUSIC TEACHER ACROSS NINE DAYS: A DESCRIPTIVE CASE STUDY

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to assess the status of vocal (KayPentax APM) and noise (Etymotic ER200D dosimeter) dosages acquired by an elementary school music teacher (N=1) during waking hours across (a) a full teaching week (5 days) and (b) 2 weekends (4 days), one prior to and one and after the teaching week. Various studies to date have examined vocal dosages acquired by music teachers. Other studies have analyzed noise dosages acquired by music teachers. No study, however, has yet examined vocal and noise dosages acquired simultaneously by the same music teacher. Primary findings indicated: (a) mean vocal distance doses and noise doses acquired during teaching hours exceeded doses acquired during non-teaching hours; (b) the most elevated Dd and noise dosage levels occurred during choir rehearsals and sixth grade general music classes; (c) the participant exceeded recommended NIOSH noise doses on 4 of the 5 teaching days. (d) comparison of noise dose percentage and vocal dose percentage during teaching hours indicated, overall, that voice dose percentage appeared to align directionally with noise dose percentage; (e) however, there were some class periods where vocal dose percentage exceeded noise dose percentage. These results were discussed in terms of proactive voice and hearing care for elementary school music teachers, possible relationships between acquired vocal and noise doses, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research.