Indicators for evaluating public speaking in adults: a scoping review

To map the indicators used to observe adults' public speaking and to identify the forms of measurement.

The acronym PCC (Population, Concept, and Context) and combined descriptors were used to search the LILACS (BVS), MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science (Clarivate), and Cochrane databases.

Studies on the assessment of adult public speaking, conducted through observation by evaluators/judges, published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, with no restrictions regarding year of publication or methodological design, were included. Studies involving individuals with stuttering or neurological disorders, those employing technological or non-human assessment, those focused on foreign language teaching, or those based solely on self-perception were excluded.

A total of 35 studies published between 2002 and 2024 were included, with a concentration in 2016 and a predominance of articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Most of the identified indicators were developed by the authors themselves or adapted from existing protocols. They were distributed across major domains: discourse structure, language use, supporting materials, vocal expressiveness, and nonverbal behaviors. The most commonly used measurement scale was the Likert-type scale.

The mapping identified recurring indicators in public speaking assessment: discourse structure (introduction, development, organization, clarity, conclusion), supporting resources, language (audience appropriateness, argumentation, pronunciation, fluency), nonverbal behaviors (eye contact, gestures, posture, facial expressiveness), and vocal expressiveness (volume, rhythm, pitch, articulation, modulation). The predominant form of measurement was the Likert-type scale.