Teachers' motivational prosody A pre-registeredexperimental test of children's reactions to tone ofvoice used by teachers

Subject Matter: The influence of teachers’ vocal tones on student engagement and well-being.
Collaboration: Presented by researchers Silke Paulmann and Netta Weinstein with institutional affiliations to the University of Essex and the University of Reading.
Purpose: To investigate how teachers' tone of voice affects children's experiences in terms of psychological needs, well-being, self-disclosure, and cooperation based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT).

Importance of Voice: Teachers use their voice for instruction and behavior management, significantly impacting students' educational outcomes (Rogerson & Dodd, 2005).
Voice Variation: Studies show a correlation between varying vocal tones and maintaining students' attention (Schmidt et al., 1998).
Tone Perception: Warm, mellow voices are perceived as trustworthy, while harsh tones can be seen as threatening (Martin & Darnley, 2017).

Self-Determination Theory (SDT): Distinguishes between autonomous motivation (internal motivations) and controlled motivation (external pressures).
Motivational Contexts: Autonomy-supportive contexts energize students' actions through collaboration and choice, contrasting with controlling environments that induce pressure and judgment (Black & Deci, 2000).
Previous Research Gaps: Limited systematic exploration of the impact of voice in educational settings, especially regarding prosody and vocals specifically linked to motivation (Weinstein et al., 2020).

Participants: Sample of 250 children aged 10-16 with a balanced gender ratio. Recruitment was coordinated with Childwise, a panel company.
Conditions: Audio clips featured controlling, autonomy-supportive, and neutral tones of voice. Each child's reactions to voice tone were measured along psychological need satisfaction, well-being, and intentions to self-disclose and cooperate.
Expected Outcomes:
- Hypothesis 1: Psychological need satisfaction will vary by voice tone.
- Hypothesis 2: Well-being will be higher with autonomy-supportive tones.
- Hypothesis 3: Self-disclosure intentions will increase with supportive tones.
- Hypothesis 4: Cooperation with teachers will be positively influenced by supportive vocal tones.

Findings: Controlling voices significantly decreased perceived psychological need satisfaction and well-being (lower positive emotions and self-esteem). Self-disclosure intentions inversely aligned with controlling voice conditions, though cooperation intentions showed no significant differences.
Indirect Effects: Psychological need satisfaction was identified as a mediating factor between controlling tones and negative outcomes (e.g., well-being).
Post-Hoc Analysis: Independence of vocal tones from other motivating factors shows the nuanced roles of emotional perception in educational contexts (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009).

Impact of Tone: Vocal cues greatly influence students’ sense of autonomy, relatedness, and competence, with controlling tones being detrimental to psychological health (Ryan & Deci, 2009).
Implications: Teachers must consider their vocal delivery, as children's self-disclosure can be hindered by negative tones. This suggests that teacher training should emphasize vocal modulation as a tool for effective communication.
Limitations: While findings are supported by existing literature, further real-world studies in classroom settings are necessary to validate the results. The reliance on self-report measures and laboratory settings may obscure practical nuances in teacher-student interactions.

Teacher Training: Incorporation of vocal training and awareness of tone importance in pre-service education programs can enhance classroom dynamics.
Voice Health: Addressing and preventing voice disorders among educators will help maintain effective communication and student interaction. Teachers with healthy vocal practices are likely to create more supportive learning environments.

This research highlights the fundamental role of teachers' vocal tones in shaping educational experiences, advocating for a focus on vocal awareness in teacher training to foster better student outcomes. The evidence suggests a strong call for teachers to cultivate warmth in their communication as a means to enhance students' educational experiences.