Effectiveness of a Short Voice Training Program for Teachers: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Using their voices in inappropriate working conditions causes teachers to misuse their voices, because in order to be heard they need to force their voices. This preliminary study examines the effects of a short-term voice training program aimed at teachers. The pre- and posttraining evaluations consisted of acoustic, perceptual (GRBAS [grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain]), aerodynamic, and subjective measurements (VHI-10). The results indicate that the voice performance of teachers improves after 25 hours of training. Specifically, significant changes are observed at the acoustic level, in fundamental frequency (F0) and in frequency perturbation measures (Jitter, PPQ [pitch perturbation quotient]), as well as in subjective voice assessment using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10), in both the physical subscale (VHI-P) and the total score (VHI-T). This study confirms the effectiveness of the training program and discusses the most sensitive measures for evaluating the short-term effect of the change.