The effects of voice training exercises on speaking abilities of preservice teachers

The study was conducted to examine the effects of voice training exercises on speaking abilities of preservice classroom teachers. The study group, created on a voluntary basis, consisted of 10 students who took "Music Education" course at the department of Classroom Teaching in the Faculty of Education, Erzincan University in the fall somestre, 2015-2016 teaching year. Voice training exercises that include relaxation, posture, respiration, resonance, phonation and articulation were applied to students in an eight-week long experimental research. Each voice training exercise was measured individually using pre-test, post-test single subject design, one of the single subject research methods. The Behaviour Observation Form developed by Gurhan in 2013 was used as a tool to measure pre-test and final-test results. Besides, semi- structured interview forms were used to take preservice teachers' views on the training they received as a part of the experimental process. Correlation Analysis- SKK ((Interclass Corelation –ICC) was applied to test the reliability and differences between pre- test and final-test results of dependent samples were compared with Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, one of the nonparametric tests used as an equivalence of dependent samples t test. During the comparison of pre-test and post-test scores of dependent samples, it was observed all eight behaviours measured were improved and consequently, voice training exercises had a positive effect on speaking abilities of pre-service teachers and on their awareness levels on this issue. Considering these results, suggestions were made to improve the speaking abilities of both preservice and in-service teachers by applying voice training exercises. Key Words: Voice Training, Articulation, Preservıce Teachers, Diction, Speaking Abilities.