Vocal Intensity Loading: A Comparison Between Elementary, Middle and High School Teachers

Sunday, 7:15am to 8:15am
Salon C
SP66
The purpose of this study is to determine whether elementary, middle school and high school teachers engage in different intensity loading behaviors during typical class times at school. The study also aims at understanding the impact of background noise on intensity loading. The participants for this study will include 15 teachers from at least three local schools in the southeast Missouri region. Five elementary school teachers, five middle school teachers, and five high school teachers will complete a questionnaire, which will be used to collect information, such as age of the participants, class size, years of experience, medical conditions and vocal health. Thereafter, the participants will be assigned dates and times determining when recordings with the Audio Tools Sound Level Meter (SLM) app and SLM device will take place. The primary investigator will instruct the teachers to speak at the loudness level they typically use while teaching. The results of this study will be able to provide significant information about vocal behaviors of teachers, and this may be beneficial to speech-language pathologists who conduct screening, assessment and management of voice in professional voice users. Participation in this study may help create awareness of vocal health and the impact of background noise on vocal behaviors.
Track: 
Adult