Delivering a Voice Education Program to School-Age Children through the Lens of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Estella P-M Ma, Irene Y-L Li, Crystal W-N Yuen and 1 others
PMID 41746866WHAT IT FOUND
A STEM-based voice education program significantly increased students' voice care knowledge immediately after training.
One year later, scores remained similar to post-training levels, though individual item retention varied. The study was a small pilot without a control group.
Key findings
01Voice care knowledge accuracy increased significantly from 71.2% before training to 94.0% immediately after.
02Knowledge scores at the one-year follow-up (83.2%) were not significantly different from immediate post-training scores.
03The study was limited by its small sample size and lack of a control group, restricting conclusions to pilot-level evidence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study had a small sample size (N=36) and no control group, so improvements cannot be definitively attributed to the STEM approach rather than any educational intervention. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with school suspensions potentially affecting knowledge retention over the one-year period. The study measured knowledge only, not actual changes in voice use behaviours or voice quality. Attrition occurred, with 4 of the 40 recruited students excluded from the final analysis.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the University Grants Council Knowledge Exchange Impact Fund in Hong Kong.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this program is more effective than standard voice education. The study lacked a control group, so the observed knowledge gains may reflect the benefit of any structured educational intervention, not specifically the STEM integration.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →