22.5.2025
Doctoral thesis on how digital vocal training programs can help improve singing skills
M.Mus. Mikael Pennanen-Dahlbäck’s doctoral thesis in education will be put forth for public defence at The Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies at Åbo Akademi University.
The thesis is entitled Technology-facilitated Elementary Vocal Training: An Educational Design-based Study.
The public defence of the doctoral thesis takes place on 27 May 2025 at 1PM in Akademisalen, Academill, Rantakatu 2, Vaasa. You can also follow the doctoral defence online. Professor Graham Welch, University College London, The United Kingdom, will serve as opponent and Professor Petri Salo, Åbo Akademi University, as custos.
Summary
A digital vocal training program helped second grade students improve their singing skills. According to an expert panel, the students’ singing quality improved significantly after the training period. The study comes amid concerns that children’s singing skills in Finland are deteriorating.
The lack of music teachers with training and competence in singing pedagogy in schools in Finland has contributed to a negative cycle: the insecurity of many music teachers leads to less systematic singing practice – with the result that many children experience less success in singing.
The study tested a video-based vocal training program, including animated animal characters, in one school class for one academic year. The children’s singing was recorded before and after the training period, and the progress of the test group was compared with that of the control group. Girls in the test group became more motivated to sing, while boys’ self-confidence declined – raising important questions about how vocal training affects different groups. The results of the study show that technology-assisted singing practice, especially with teacher support, can break the negative cycle and enable more children to find the joy of singing and, in turn, improve their well-being.
Mikael Pennanen-Dahlbäck was born in 1971 in Helsinki. He can be reached by phone +358 50 533 2016 or email mikpenna@abo.fi.
The doctoral thesis can be read online through the Doria publication archive.
Click here for a press photo of the doctoral student.
Instructions for following the doctoral defence remotely:
To follow the defence, you need the Zoom software or the Google Chrome browser. You do not need to create a Zoom account to follow the defence. If you install the application, you participate by clicking on the meeting link, after which you should allow the link to open in the Zoom app.