Original scientific paper

Use of Non-verbal Communication Channels in the Classroom

Danijela Kožić ; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb,
Ana Globočnik Žunac ; Effectus College for Law and Finance
Ljubica Bakić-Tomić ; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb,

Abstract

The ability to identify, understand and interpret non-verbal cues makes communication among people high quality and successful. In this paper, special attention is paid to non-verbal communication in the classroom, with emphasis on the non-verbal behaviour of teachers. In this paper the study of non-verbal behaviour of classroom teachers and final-year-students of the Faculty of Teacher Education is presented. The aim was to detect forms of non-verbal behaviour that are used in teaching situations by teachers and by students. The study was conducted in primary schools according to the Flanders model of interaction analysis. Ten elements that are included in the Flanders model of teaching communication were adapted to the specific needs of this research. The study comprised fifteen classroom teachers with longer working experience and fifteen students in the final year at the Faculty of Teacher Education. The following channels of teacher's non-verbal communication were observed in the study: visual communication, movements within a lecture, use of paralanguage, facial expressions of teachers and teacher's relationship towards students. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between teachers and students - future teachers (t = 0.303 <2.04 limits at a significance level of 0.05) in the use of different channels of non-verbal communication, which differs from previous research around the world and in Croatia (Globočnik Žunac & Bakić-Tomić 2011, Howe, 2002, Napan 1994, Neill 1991, Klinzig and Tisher 1986, Wragg & Dooley 1984, Jacker et al. 1965) which generally confirmed the existence of differences between samples.

Keywords

classroom teaching; Flanders interaction analysis (FIA); non-verbal communication; teacher

Hrčak ID:

106512

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/106512

Publication date:

24.7.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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