The Relationship Between Vocal Fatigue Symptoms in Teachers and Sources of Teacher Stress

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of vocal fatigue in a group of teachers and to examine its possible connection with workload, i.e., inappropriate student behaviour and the need for professional recognition as sources of professional stress among these voice professionals. The study involved 74 participants (62 women and 12 men) aged 24 to 65 years – 40 of them employed in primary schools and 34 in secondary schools – who completed the Croatian version of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI-C) questionnaire and the Scale for Measuring Sources of Teacher Stress. The results showed the existence of a statistically significant positive correlation between the average results in all three categories of the VFI-C and all subscales of the Scale for Measuring Sources of Teacher Stress. A higher level of stress in teachers was associated with greater self-perceived presence of vocal fatigue symptoms. Compared to male teachers, female teachers reported statistically significantly higher stress caused by all observed sources and a higher overall experience of stress. This points to the importance of workload control and stress management in educational settings in reducing the risk of the occurrence of vocal fatigue symptoms among teachers, especially among female teachers.