CertEd/PGCE
INTRODUCTION TO NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Non Verbal Communication
Extracted from various websites
Compiled and edited by Alan Davison
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INTRODUCTION TO NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Communication in general is process of sending and receiving messages that enables
humans to share knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Although we usually identify
communication with speech, communication is composed of two dimensions - verbal
and nonverbal.
Nonverbal communication has been defined as communication without words. It
includes apparent behaviours such as facial expressions, eyes, touching, and tone of
voice, as well as less obvious messages such as dress, posture and spatial distance
between two or more people.
Everything communicates, including material objects, physical space, and time
systems. Although verbal output can be turned off, nonverbal cannot. Even silence
speaks.
No matter how one tries, one cannot not communicate. Activity or inactivity, words
or silence all have message value: they influence others and these others, in turn,
cannot not respond to these communications and are thus themselves
communicating.
He who has eye to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can
keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out
of him at every pore.
Commonly, nonverbal communication is learned shortly after birth and practiced and
refined throughout a person’s lifetime. Children first learn nonverbal expressions by
watching and imitating, much as they learn verbal skills.
Young children know far more than they can verbalize and are generally more adept
at reading nonverbal cues than adults are because of their limited verbal skills and
their recent reliance on the nonverbal to communicate. They have not yet learned
that it is rude to stare. As children develop verbal skills, the nonverbal channels of
communication do not cease to exist although they become entwined in the total
communication process.
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Humans use nonverbal communication because:
1.
Words have limitations: There are numerous areas where nonverbal
communication is more effective than verbal (when explaining shape, directions,
personalities.)
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2.
Nonverbal message are likely to be more genuine: because nonverbal
behaviors cannot be controlled as easily as spoken words. Its easier to lie with words
than body language
3.
Nonverbal signals can express inappropriate feelings: Social etiquette limits
what can be said, but nonverbal cues can communicate thoughts.
4.
A separate communication channel is necessary to help send complex
messages: A speaker can add enormously to the complexity of the verbal message
through simple nonverbal signals.
Researches in communication suggest that many more feelings and intentions are
sent and received nonverbally than verbally. Mehrabian and Wienerfollowing
suggested that only 7% of message is sent through words, with remaining 93% sent
nonverbal expressions (depending on author, verbal part goes up to 35%).
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9.
Nonverbal communication in classroom
Nonverbal communication is also a critical aspect of interpersonal communication
in the classroom. The most credible messages teachers generate, as
communication sources are nonverbal.
Galloway views educators as multi-sensory organisms who only occasionally talk.
Balzer reported that approximately 75% of classroom management behaviour
was nonverbal.
Smith noted that teachers’ nonverbal behaviours act as signs, for the students, of
the psychological state of the teacher.
Rosenthal and Jacobson’s Teacher Expectations for the Disadvantaged suggested
that, through nonverbal behaviour, teachers expectations for the progress of
their students become self-fulfilling prophecies.
Many of the cues students use to make judgments about teacher’s competence
or characters are obtained by observing the teacher’s nonverbal behaviour.
There are variety of nonverbal signals emitted from the teacher in the classroom
which to deepest levels influence classroom atmosphere, students moods,
perception, learning and eventually attitudes towards knowledge and school
generally.
Alternatively the teacher has powerful tools to identify what is actually going on
with the class in general and each individual per se, without any word being said.
This is extremely important in lecture like classes when teacher is primarily
supposed to talk.
Verbal signals (in direct communication) are never so powerful.
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10.Nonverbal signals are much more difficult to capture, describe and rationally
explain because we necessarily have to use words to do that and words are not
enough fine and precise tool for this (just as they are not for describing pictures).
11.A teacher who wants to learn how to control nonverbal signals and behaviour in
order to teach more effectively finds many difficulties on this way.
12.Besides problem with describing those behaviours,
a. there is cultural problem with interpreting them,
b. can be amazingly quick and subtle,
c. most often are unconscious, but most importantly –
d. they are valid only if genuine
Nonverbal communication in the classroom occurs with distance, physical
environment, facial expression, vocal cues, body movements and gestures, touch,
time, physical attractiveness, and dress. Each will be separately discussed.
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BODY MOVEMENTS, GESTURES AND POSTURES
Movements and gestures by the hands, arms, legs, and other parts of the body and
face are the most pervasive types of nonverbal messages and the most difficult to
control. It is estimated that there are over 200.000 physical signs capable of
stimulating meaning in another person (some social scientists state even 700.000).
For example, there are 23 distinct eyebrow movements, each capable of stimulating a
different meaning.
Humans express attitudes toward themselves and vividly through body motions and
posture. Body movements elucidate true messages about feeling that cannot be
masked. Because such avenues of communication are visual, they travel much farther
than spoken words and are unaffected by the presence of noise that interrupt, or
cancels out speech.
People communicate by the way they walk, stand, and sit. We tend to be more
relaxed with friends or when addressing those of lower status.
Body orientation also indicates status or liking of the other individual. More direct
orientation is related to a more positive attitude.
Body movements and postures alone have no exact meaning, but they can greatly
support or reject the spoken word. It these two means of communication are
dichotomized and contradict each other, some result will be a disordered image and
most often the nonverbal will dominate.
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Body movement and gesture in the classroom
The variety of ways in which teacher and students walk, stand, or sit can all affect
interpersonal perception. The teacher who slouches or twitches when talking to
students is not likely to be perceived as a composed person. Conversely, the teacher
who always appears unruffled regardless of the circumstances is likely to be
perceived as cold and withdrawn.
Body postures and movements are frequently indicators of self-confidence, energy,
fatigue, or status. In the classroom, students keen to receive body message of
enthusiasm or boredom about the subject matter being taught can sense confidence
or frustration from the unconscious behaviours of teachers.
Observant teachers can also tell when students understand the content presented or
when they have trouble grasping the major concepts. A student who is slouching in
his seat sends a very different message than the student who learns forward or sits
erect.
Gestures
Cognitively, gestures operate to clarify, contradict, or replace verbal messages.
Gestures also serve an important function with regard to regulating the flow of
conversation. For example, if a student is talking in class, single nods of the head from
the teacher will likely cause that student to continue and perhaps elaborate.
Posture
Postures as well as gestures are used to indicate attitudes, status, affective moods,
approval, deception, warmth, and other variables related to classroom interaction.
Ekman and Friesen (1967) have suggested that posture conveys gross or overall
affect (liking), while specific emotions are communicated by more discreet, facial and
body movements.
FACIAL EXPRESSION
The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” well describes the meaning of facial
expression. Facial appearance - including wrinkles, muscle tone, skin coloration, and
eye colour-offers enduring cues that reveal information about age, sex, race, ethnic
origin, and status.
Varieties of expressions
A less permanent second set of facial cues-including
length of hair, hairstyle, cleanliness, and facial hair-relate
to an individual’s idea of beauty.
A third group of facial markers are momentary expressions
that signal that cause changes in the forehead, eyebrows,
eyelids, cheeks, nose, lips, and chin, such as raising the
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eyebrows, wrinkling the brow, curling the lip.
Some facial expressions are readily visible, while others are fleeting. Both types can
positively or negatively reinforce the spoken word and convey cues concerning
emotions and attitude.
Next to words the human face is the primary source of information for determining
an individual’s internal feelings.
Face talks
Facial expressions may be unintentional or intentional.
The facial expression for fear is an example of an involuntary gesture - people
generally do not think of how to move facial muscles when truly frightened.
Facial expressions can also be voluntary, as when an individual wants deliberately to
hide feelings for different reasons
Often people try to hide feelings and emotions behind masks. The frown, jutting chin,
raised eyebrow, open mouth, and sneer are facial expressions that can betray and
ultimately broadcast deception. All humans are capable of faking a happy or a sad
face, a smile or a frown. I found interesting statement that the timing gives them
away. They cannot determine how long to keep it or how quickly to let it go. This
makes sense.
How much can we fake?
Facial expression in the classroom
All people and thus certainly teachers and students use facial expressions to form
impressions of another. A cold hard stare has long been in the repertoire of teacher’s
weapons. Similarly, a smile can be useful tool in reinforcing desired student
behaviours (this time in affirmative way).
A teacher can also use student’s facial expressions as valuable sources of feedback.
When, for example, delivering a lecture, a teacher should use student’s expressions
to determine whether or not to slow down, speed up, or in some other way modify
his presentation.
Facial expression involves some of the smallest body movements, but its impact in
the classroom may be greater than any other body language the teacher exhibits. The
teacher probably communicates more accidentally by his or her facial expression than
by any other means.
Scientists who study facial expression refer to micro-momentary movements,
changes in expression that constantly occur in all human communicators and are
usually so fleeting that it requires highly technical photography to be able to isolate
them for study. However, as quickly as they pass across a person’s face, they are
picked up by other people and produce responses.
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When teachers are responding to students, these changes in facial expression can
serve as reinforces to the student or as non-reinforcers. Unfortunately, the teacher
normally has very little control over such micro-momentary movements, but should
be able to control more long-lasting expressions, such as smiles or frowns.
Smiles and grimace can therefore still be very effectively used in the classroom. But
according researches, more commonly, teachers simply respond to the student
without thinking what their nonverbal physical response may be communicating.
Often a teacher does not want to communicate what he or she is thinking to the
student. While the teacher may not say that, his or her facial expression may
communicate it very clearly.
EYES
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The most dominant and reliable features of the face, the eyes, provide a constant
channel of communication. They can be shifty and evasive; convey hate, fear, and
guilt; or express confidence, love, and support.
Referred to as “mirrors of the soul,” the eyes serve as the major decision factor in
interpreting the spoken words.
The eyes of the man converse as much as their tongues, with the advantage that the
ocular dialect needs no dictionary, but is understood, all the world over. When the
eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on eyes.
Except for extremely shy individuals, most people look for social acceptance by
studying the eyes of others.
Eyes also can accurately indicate a positive or a negative relationship. People tend to
look longer and more often at those, whom they trust, respect and care about than at
those whom they doubt or dislike.
Researches show that a speaker who looks at an audience is perceived as
Much more
 Favourable
 Confident
 Credible
 Qualified
 Honest
And less
 Formal
 Nervous than the same person delivering the identical message while avoiding
eye contact.
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Normal eye dilation is not under control of the individual. But when looking at
something pleasing, an individual’s pupil will measurably dilate; when viewing
something displeasing, the pupils will constrict.
Personally characteristics such as introversion and extroversion also influence eye
behaviour.
Eye behaviour in the classroom
Eye behaviour seems to be particular importance and is generally used to indicate
whether one is open to communication. This can be observed when a teacher asks
the class a question: students who think they know the answer will generally look the
teacher, while students who do not will usually try to avoid eye contact.
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Visual contact with the instructor appears related to student’s comprehension.
Jecker, Maccoby, and Breitrose isolated visual cues given by students which seemed
associated with comprehension of lecture content and reported that teachers trained
to recognize such cues became more accurate in their judgment of student
comprehension that did untrained teachers.
The results of a study by Breed, Christiansen, and Larson suggest that visual contact
with the instructor increases attentiveness, which in turn makes for better grades.
Students in group who were looked at almost continuously by lecturer received
higher quiz scores.
Exline (1971) reports that, in responses to a questionnaire, college students said they
thought that they would be more comfortable with another who, when speaking,
listening, and sharing mutual silence, looked at them 50% of time as opposed to 100%
of the time or not at all.
I believe that only very self-confident, knowledgeable and attentive students will
prefer 100% of eye contact time. Nobody is in this mood all the time and many are
never. On the other hand 0% of time of eye contact would mean that speaker has
great deal of trouble with self-confidence, knowledge or care for students.
This explains this result of 50% and it is the valuable information for teacher.
Eye contact is often used to control an interpersonal interaction. When people do not
wish to be interrupted, they will often glance away and continue talking.
When they wish the other person to speak, they will pause, making direct eye
contact.
Teachers often use eye contact in the classroom to decide who is prepared to answer
a question, or who was completed a homework assignment.
One interesting information to be aware of.
Eye contact is often used as an indicant of whether or not a person is laying. The
stereotype is that a dishonest person will not look you in the eye.
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Many teachers who suspect a student is cheating on a test may, in the absence of
other evidence, decide a student is lying because the student fails to look them in the
eye when answering a direct question about the test. Unfortunately, there seems to
be little validity to this theory. Research has actually found the reverse to be truepeople who are lying are more likely to look the other person directly the eye,
probably as a conscious response to the stereotype.
Teachers can have individual eye contact with every student in the classroom through
eye contact. Attitudes of intimacy, aloofness, concern, or indifference can be inferred
by the way a teacher looks or avoids looking at a student.
Most experienced teachers are aware when students are bored with the subject
matter being presented. Students’ eyes often signal listening and non-listening
behaviours, thus transmitting subtle messages about their lack of attentiveness.
Students who are constantly looking at the wall clock rather than watching and
listening to the teacher may be indicating the need for a break, the dullness of the
content, or a lack of teacher motivation and preparation.
In any case, observation of eye behaviour can be used in evaluating teacher and
student performance.
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DISTANCE
Horizontal distance
Schwebal and Cherlin found that elementary school children seated in the front row
were attentive and were evaluated more positively by their teachers than were
students who sat in the middle and back rows.
Edward T. Hall’s categories can lend insight. Hall (1966) specifies four distance zones
which are commonly observed by North Americans.
1.
Intimate distance - from actual touching to eighteen inches. This zone is
reserved for those with whom one is intimate. At this distance the physical presence
of another is overwhelming. Teachers who violate students’ intimate space are likely
to be perceived as intruders.
1. 2. Personal distance from eighteen inches to four feet. This is the distance of
interaction of good friends. This would also seem to be most appropriate distance for
teacher and student to discuss personal affairs such as grades, conduct, private
problems, etc.
Appropriate distance depends on many factors
2. 3. Social distance exists from four to twelve feet. It seems to be an appropriate
distance for casual friends and acquaintances to interact.
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3. 4. Public distance outward from twelve feet a speaker becomes formal. Classes
of teachers who maintain this distance between themselves and their students are
generally formal, and some students may feel that the teacher is cold and distant.
Hall’s system for the categorization of distance can constructively be used to lend
insight into the nature of various student-teacher interactions. It should be noted,
however, that appropriate distance is determined by a myriad of variables including
the situation, the nature of the relationship, the topic of conversation, and the
physical constraints which are present.
Vertical distance
The vertical distance between communicators is often indicative of the degree of
dominance a sub ordinance in the relationship. People are affected by literally looking
up at or looking down on another person.
The implications are that vertical distance can be used by teachers both as a tool and
as a weapon. Teachers, and especially those who work with small children, should
realize that students will interact more comfortably with a teacher when they are in
same vertical plane. Used in this way, an understanding of vertical distance can
become a tool for improved teacher-student communication. On the other hand, the
disciplinarian can put this information to use in order to gain psychological advantage
over an unruly student.
TOUCH
Even a handshake tells much about an individual’s character. The human skin has
hundreds of thousands of submicroscopic nerve endings, serving as tactual receptors
and detecting pressure, temperature, texture, pain, stroking, tickling.
Parents transmit feelings to an infant physically, not verbally.
In most human relationships, touching cab give encouragement, express tenderness,
and show emotional support.
In general, the meaning of touching depends of the situation, culture, sex, and age.
Workers in hospitals and nursing homes have long been aware of the therapeutic
value of a sympathetic touch. There are empirical supports for this.
Tactile communication can serve useful function in the classroom situation but it also
becomes a delicate matter.
Since teachers are considered superiors in the classroom, they often initiate touching
behaviours. Teacher judgment is the best indicator. A teacher who grabs the arm or
shoulder of an unruly student enters the student’s space uninvited.
Aside from embarrassment, the student may develop other negative feelings toward
the teacher.
More positively, however, touching can also be used as a reinforcer.
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At times, a teacher can develop a close relationship with students by invading their
space. A simple pat on the back for a job well done is a much used and usually
accepted from praise.
There is also some limited evidence that touching behaviours can actually increase
learning. One recent investigation (Kleinfeld) has shown that teachers employed such
behaviours as smiling, touching, and close body distance, small children tended to
learn significantly more.
As children grow older, however, these touching behaviours become less
appropriate.
Touch has different impacts in the classroom depending on the age and sex of the
students.
Still, with older students, hand shaking and an occasional pat on the back could prove
effective.
Four younger children in the lower primary grades, touch plays an important
development role. It can communicate a sense of belonging, security, and
understanding to the child. Conversely, when a teacher withholds touch, a child may
feel isolated and rejected, which can lead to the acquisition of negative attitudes
toward school.
Children in the lower elementary grades also have a strong need to touch things
around them. They learn this way about environment. It is not uncommon for small
children to wish to touch the teacher’s clothing or hair. They will also touch one
another a lot. The teacher must be very careful to interpret children’s touching
behaviour on the basis of adult touching norms.
While certain general norms govern touching behaviour in the North American
culture, considerable differences exist among ethnic groups. The teacher must
recognize that these are set cultural variations and should be viewed in that light.
Although the use of touch as a reward is appropriate in the elementary school as
children move into junior and senior high school, changes occur that require an
alteration of teacher behaviour. Awakening sexual interest in adolescents results in
adaptation to adult to touch terms.
The use of the touch as a reward at this stage may be greatly misinterpreted,
particularly by other people who observe the touch. Most male teachers of junior and
high school students soon recognize that it is highly inappropriate to touch female
students under almost any circumstance.
VOCAL INTONATION AND CUES
The proverb “It is not what we say that counts, but how we say it” reflects the
meaning of vocal intonation.
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An unconscious bias of the listening public is a widespread positive prejudice in
favour of man with low, deep voices with resonant tones, such as those qualities
possessed by most male newscasters. Studies have also reported the use of vocal
cues as accurate indicators of overall appearance, body type, height, and race,
education, and dialect region.
Paralinguistic cues often reveal emotional conditions. Difference in loudness, pitch,
timbre, rate, inflection, rhythm, and enunciation all relate to the expression of
various emotions.
Experimental findings suggest that active feelings, such as rage, are exemplified
vocally by high pitch, fast pace, and blaring sound. The more passive feelings, such as
despair, ate portrayed by low pitch, retarded pace, and resonant sound. In addition,
stress is often vocalized by higher pitch and words uttered at a greater rate than
normal. The reverse (lower pitch, slower word pace) is likely during depression.
We are generally aware of some of the common uses of vocal cues. People indicate
the ends of declarative sentences by lowering voice pitch and the ends of questions
by raising it. The vocal message can contradict the verbal one and, when done
consciously, is considered an indication of sarcasm. Vocal cues play a prominent part
in people’s determination of whether or not someone is laying to them.
Mehrabian in his research concluded that listeners� perception of the attitude of a
speaker were influenced 7% by the verbal message and 38% by the vocal tones which
were used.
Same words or phases can have many different meanings, depending on how they
are said. For example, analyze the phrase “Thank you.” If uttered sincerely, it
generally means an expression of gratitude; if intoned sarcastically, it can insinuate an
entirely opposite intention.
Vocal cues in classroom
This powerful nonverbal tool can readily affect student participation. Generally, to
correct answers the teacher respond with positive verbal reinforcement enhanced by
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vocal pitch or tone, expressing the acceptance and liking of the students� answer
(often accompanied by a smile or other forms of nonverbal approval).
Opposite is the case when teacher do not like the response (or behaviour in the same
way).
Some early studies, found that large variations of rate, force, pitch, and quality
produced higher levels of retention than did messages delivered without these
variations.
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For example ‘mono-pitch’ reduces comprehension for both prose and poetry when
compared with ‘good intonation’.
There is distinction between a child’s and adult’s response to nonverbal behaviour,
particularly in terms of nonverbal vocal behaviour. While the adult will almost
universally accept the nonverbal vocal behaviour as the correct cue when vocal
behaviour and verbal behaviour are in conflict, young children often operate in the
reverse manner.
Therefore for the small child, conflicting verbal and nonverbal messages will cause
considerable trouble. One of the best examples of this is the use of satire, which is for
this reason generally inappropriate means of communication with small children.
Vocal behaviour is also capable of arousing stereotypes about either a teacher or a
student. For example, a teacher who has a very nasal speaking voice is often
perceived as having a variety of undesirable personal and physical characteristics.
Female teachers with very tense voices are often perceived as being younger,
feminine, more emotional, easily upset, and less intelligent. Male teachers with the
same vocal characteristics are often perceived as being older, more unyielding, and
cantankerous.
Of course vocal characteristics affect teachers’ perception of students as well, and
the stereotypes noted above can be applied again. Fortunately, as students and
teachers get to know each other better, they are able to overcome some of these
stereotypes.
However, in the upper grades and secondary schools, students and teachers my
never interact frequently enough to overcome stereotypic responses based on vocal
behaviour. Many teachers would be shocked at students’ imitations of them, often
imitation mimicking the teacher’s vocal pattern. While teachers may be somewhat
not always that different.
When teacher does not speak the same accent or dialect as children in his or her
classroom, a conscious or unconscious prejudice may develop from both sides.
While it is certainly true that children who leave their ethnic or regional background
in order to gain employment and acceptance in other areas of the community will
have difficulty because of their accent or dialect, it is also true that most importantly,
a child’s speech pattern is an intrinsic part of the child’s personality and self-image.
Children learn their spec from their parents and the other people in their
environment. Their assumption is that the accent or dialect they have learned is the
‘correct’ one. To fin that accent or dialect rejected by a teacher and/or the school is
usually interpreted by the child as a personal rejection. Frequently this leads to
rejection of self and a lowered self-image and/or a rejection to teacher and school.�
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SPACE AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Research in the area of proxemics, the study of the ways how people use space while
communicating, indicates that the use of space in the classroom can have a major
impact on communication. To understand the impact of space on classroom
communication we need to distinguish between territoriality and personal space.
Territoriality, a trait shared by human beings and lower forms of animal life, is the
instinct to secure space for oneself and to defend that space against potential
intruders.
Violations of territory, depending how serious are, will produce different reactions on
the part of the person invaded. From tension and nervousness to, (especially if the
situation persists), verbal or physical aggressive response.
Personal space, unlike territory, has no fixed or semi-fixed geographical position.
Personal space has been likened to an invisible bubble that moves with the individual
and may expand in size or become smaller depending on the given situation.
As human being grow and mature, they increasingly learn to control their responses
to invasion of their personal space. However, small children have not yet learned to
do so. They may respond very negatively to one another, with both verbal and
physical aggression, without being aware of what exactly has produced their
behaviour.
Teachers must be particularly conscious of this phenomenon, both in the classroom
and in other school environments.
The classroom itself has limited amount of space and the way that space is employed
will certainly affect the kind of communication. We will here see some advantages
and disadvantages of most usual classroom arrangements.
Traditional classroom arrangement
Circles represent students’ seats. People occupying the dark
seats will account for a very large proportion of the total
interaction between teacher and the students in this type of
arrangement. People seating in the gray seats interact some,
but much less frequently than those in the darkened areas and
people in the white seats will participate very infrequently, if
at all.
Most common explanations for this variance in participation
are that students sitting in the dark seats have the best visual
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contact with the teacher and they are in comparatively closer proximity to the
teacher.
But is seems that this is not all. Some students are quite anxious about
communicating with other people, particularly teachers, while other students look
forward to such experiences and seek them.
Shy students generally attempt to avoid interaction in the classroom and thus will
gravitate to the seats depicted in above picture as white areas. Outgoing students, on
the other hand, will tend to take dark seats. Students with moderate communication
apprehension are likely to select gray seats.
Each of these different types of students, therefore, employs space in the classroom
differently if they are given free choice. The question thus arises as to whether the
teacher should permit the students to have free choice.
Research shows that rearranging students (alphabetically or by some other arbitrary
method) does not change anything in terms of participation of particular students
Verbal, low communication - apprehensive students will continue to participate, no
matter where they are seated in such a system and vice versa. This suggests free
choice as better solution.
If the teacher wishes to dominate the interaction in the classroom, the traditional
arrangement is probably the best because students are seated side by side and the
primary focal point is the teacher; thus, most interaction will go from teacher to
student and form student to teacher.
Variations of traditional arrangement
Horseshoe classroom arrangement
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(Different colours of seats have same meaning as above)
Classes with fairly small enrolments are often arranged in this
fashion. When students are given free choice of arranging the
classroom, this is one of the most popular option. Such an
arrangement provides for each student equivalent visual access
to most other students and the teacher.
Some research suggests that there is more participation in
classes arranged in this way. Students who are at the opposite
end of the horseshoe from the teacher, however, are those
most likely to interact, while those at the right and left hand of the teacher are those
least likely to interact.
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If the teacher desires that the full-class interaction occur, the horseshoe
arrangement may be the most desirable. This will encourage interaction both among
the students and between students and teacher.
According some research, this arrangement results not only in greater participation,
but also in wider participation than the traditional arrangement.
It also seems safe to say that a teacher is perceived as less intimidating when he is
seated in a circle with the students rather than behind the formal and imposing
symbol of his large desk.
Modular classroom arrangement
This arrangement is particularly desirable
for classes requiring interaction among
smaller groups of students. Modular
arrangements such as this one tend to
increase the amount of student
interaction, but at the same time make
interaction with the teacher more difficult.
If very important part of the learning in
the class is dependent on student
interaction with other students, the
modular arrangement may be preferable. This arrangement permits many students
to be interacting at the same time without interrupting on one another.
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Preparing for future
While many other elements will determine the nature of communication in a given
teacher’s classroom, the arrangements of classroom space may have the largest
impact.
How can this information be of use to a teacher? A teacher may assume that a
student who sits himself in dark areas wants to be involved.
Teachers should be careful, however, not to play to these students at the expense of
the rest of the class. Students who seat themselves at the back of the room want to
maintain maximum distance between themselves and the teacher. The extent to
which a teacher will seek to involve these students is likely to be the result of an
individual’s own pedagogical decision.
Some teachers will be content with minimal disruption from the rear, while others
will assume that these are the students who need the most help.
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Some teachers may want to arrange student’s desks in a circle or open square
configuration.
OBJECTS
Environmental research has clearly indicated that communication differs greatly
from one physical environment to another.
The physical environment of the classroom is determined in the large measure by the
objects in that classroom. Some of them are intrinsic for the classroom itself, while
others are objects that the inhabitants bring with them. Such objects may have a
significant (either negative or positive) effect on classroom communication.
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Certainly, there is difference
In an interesting study of the impact of environment on communication, students
were randomly assigned to one of two different rooms. One room, known as the
“beautiful room,” was well decorated, and had sufficient but subdued lighting. The
room was clean and attractive. The other room, known as “ugly room,” was devoid of
carpeting, was painted in a drab colour, and had brilliant lighting. The room was dirty
and cobwebs were noticeable in the corners. The students were engaged in an
interaction task for about a half hour. Subsequently, they were removed to a third
room that was moderately attractive. They than competed questionnaires indicating
how pleasant they found their interaction to have been, whether they would like to
continue interaction with the same people with whom they had been interacting, and
whether they would like to return to the same room for future discussions.
The difference between the two groups were dramatic.
The people in the “beautiful room”, enjoyed their experience, liked the people with
they interacted with, and looked forward to interacting in that environment further.
The students who had been in the ugly room, however, did not like the people with
whom they interacted, did not enjoy the task, and did not want to return to that
place for future discussions.
We can walk through almost any school at random and find some classrooms that
appear much more conductive to learning and positive communication between
teachers and students than to other classrooms.
Unfortunately, many of the classroom with which teachers must cope more closely
fit the description of the ugly room. And to change this we do not have to build a new
school!
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“Would anybody mind if I add one picture on the wall?”
The teacher can do a great deal to overcome the negative elements of the
environment, which can adversely affect communication. However, many teachers
seem to be totally unaware of the problem, or have simply given up to it.
If the room have movable chairs, it is easy to arrange them so that students do not
have to cope with excessive glare from outside windows.
It is often possible to adjust the lighting in the room. Brilliant lightning may make it
easier to the children to see the paper on their desks, but over a period of time it
tends to increase the irritability of both the teacher and the student.
It every classroom, it is possible for the teacher to add decorations (general or even
better educational) to make the room more pleasant environment. Many teachers
employ bulletin boards for this purpose and display students work around the room.
Besides inexpensive photographs, paintings can also greatly alter the appearance of
the room.
In addition to characteristic objects of the classroom, both - students and teacher
may wish to bring it more personal objects to enhance their classroom. All too often,
teachers discourage such contributions. In doing so, they limit the students attempts
to express their individuality.
When possible, teacher should allow students to alter and decorate the small part of
the room, which is theirs, whether that to be their desks or whatever. Usually this is
not a problem. Some teachers even allow students to alter areas outside of their own
small desk area. Some encourage the children to bring their favourite poster,
photograph, or painting to be displayed in the room. This created a more intimate
atmosphere for young people and made school seem more a part of them rather
then something imposed on them.
Regarding students’ individual wearing apparel and adornment the best policy for the
individual teacher is to not interfere with individuality of the student in this area
unless forced to by the administration or because an individual’s extreme behaviour
is proving to be a disturbance to the other students. Limiting a young person freedom
of expression almost ensures rebelliousness on his or hers part, and consequently
interferes in the communication between teacher and student, but, if sufficient
tolerance for this devotion is permitted, there is usually movement toward more
restraint fairly soon.
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Notice me!
DRESS
Although most people are only superficially aware of the wear of others, clothing
does communicate. Often dictated by societal norms, clothing indicates a great
amount of information about self.
It identifies sex, age, socioeconomic class, status, role, group membership,
personality or mood, physical climate, and time in history.
In addition, attitudes most often associated with clothing relate to
1)
A desire to conform
2)
A desire for self-expression
3)
A desire for aesthetic satisfaction
4)
Prestige values
5)
The desire for social participation
6)
Physical comfort, and
7)
Economy
Much empirical evidence supports the view that one who is well dressed is likely to
be much better accepted by not known people than if not well dressed thus
increasing interpersonal effectiveness.
Some research suggests also that a relationship exists between success of student
and the acceptability of their dress.
Clothing also affects self-confidence. In one early investigation (Hurlock, 1929) all of
the men studied believed that their estimate of a person was affected by his clothing,
and 97% of all subjects reported feelings of increased self-confidence when they were
well dressed.
I believe that this is the case also today but definition of being “well dressed” is surely
somewhat changed.
But some authors contradict the opinion that a person should always strive to be
“well-dressed”. Gandhi is offered as an example of a leader who understands this
point and who would successfully “dress down” in order to better, relate to the
masses he sought to influence.
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Clothing and classroom
Because clothing affects others perception, people often dress to fit the part. These
clothing cues, however have little effect on those with whom one is familiar. But
opposite is true when regarding students’ impression of teacher especially first one.
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In order to establish credibility, the teacher should strive to appear comfortable and
at ease in the role, thus removing some of the typical teacher/student barriers.
Although outward appearance does not, of course, indicate a person’s knowledge,
values, or philosophy, dress can communicate; but, in most cases, it is only a outward
show.
Students see instructors based on their motivation, sincerity, and fairness; they will
be fooled only momentarily by clothing. A Saville Row suit or a Givenchy dress cannot
turn a grouch into a lively, dynamic teacher. A smile is worth many times whatever
the teacher might pay for clothes.
Another aspect of this situation is that it seems that students form some lasting
impressions of their instructors during the first few moments (around 30 seconds) of
their contact.
Gordon Allport has written: With briefest visual perception, a complex mental
process is aroused, resulting within a very short time in judgment of the sex, age, size,
nationality, profession and social caste of the stranger, together with some estimate
with his temperament, his ascendance, friendliness, neatness, and even his
trustworthiness and integrity.
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Your first estimation. How much can you say?
Personal artefacts
The personal artefacts (makeup, jewellery, glasses) with which people choose to
adorn themselves also communicate a message to others.
Horn also argues that the process of inferring characteristics based on personal
appearance, is based on a sort of ’logic’ although often erroneous.
For example, she writes, a person who wears glasses probably suffered from eye
strain; eye strain is often caused from too much reading; a person who reads a lot is
apt to be very intelligent; consequently, it is ‘logical’ to assume that people who wear
glasses are intelligent.
It is interesting to note that some older research found that college students rated
people who wore glasses higher in intelligence and industriousness. Today glasses are
more often connected with closed nature, clumsiness and religiousness.
What will prevail in teachers’ cases depends on others (again nonverbal) clues we
emit.
PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS
Body type communicates a variety of meanings, particularly as it relates to physical
attractiveness. Three general types, each capable of arousing several stereotypes
about personality, can be identified.
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The first of these is the ectomorph. Ectomorphs are tall, thin, and fragile looking and
are thought of as being tense, anxious, reticent, and self-conscious.
Mesomorphs are bony, muscular, and athletic and are thought as being dominant,
energetic, and talkative.
Endomorphs are described as soft, round, and fat and are thought of as complacent,
warm, and sociable.
Whether these adjectives are accurate is irrelevant; they represent and arouse the
real stereotypes.
In our world attractiveness plays a role
The reason we stress various body types is that teachers, like other people, tend to
stereotype students based on their physical characteristics. The body type considered
most physically attractive to most people in this culture is mesomorph. Mesomorphs
tend to get higher grades, not because they are more intelligent, but because they
are more attractive and are likely to be targets of interaction. They are more popular
with other students and teachers and often are the opinion leaders among their
peers.
Various studies have explored the effects of personal attractiveness and showed
positive relationship between physical attractiveness and:

Effectiveness in influencing audience opinions

Speakers’ success
In an educational context, a positive relationship was found between attractiveness
and grade-point average
The physical attractiveness of students and teachers does serve to influence
classroom interaction. This variable, however, is probably less deserving of attention
than some others, since communicators do not easily manipulate it.
Teachers must be very careful about the stereotypes. Intelligent students don’t all
look alike, they don’t all wear glasses, and they are not all thin.
Plump children are not all happy and contented and easy-going. Athletically built
young people are not all ‘jocks’.
Perhaps the most practical use of this research for educators lies in the admonition
that they need to be aware of these tendencies and should strive to avoid favouring
attractive students.
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TIME
Though this has not been adequately studied, per se, it seems safe to say that
teacher’s use of time has nonverbal communicative value. Consider an elementary
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teacher who tells his students that math is as important as history, yet devote much
more classroom time to history. His students can probably tell which subject he really
thinks is more important.
A college teacher may tell his students that he wants to get to know then better, but
if he schedules only one office hour per week, they likely to be more influenced by
latter message.
A teacher also communicate by the extent to which he is punctual for class and by
formality or informality of the way in which he schedules appointments.
Statement usual in the North American culture, such as, “Time is money” or We’re
out of time. Reflects that time is viewed as commodity.
Teachers tell students not to waste time, or to use their time more efficiently. Classes
are scheduled to meet at certain times during the day and lateness is punishable
offense.
Watch it!
Colleges and universities have carried time considerations to their absurd extreme;
undergraduate degrees are awarded partially on the basis of a minimum number of
credits which are computed in terms of the number of contact hours a week students
spend in classes. In many states, pay increases for public school teachers are based
on a ‘thirty hours plus,’ model.
There are also a non written norms related to how long students are expected to
wait for late instructors, and it varies according to rank.
Since students ate accustomed to classes running for a certain amount of time, they
tend to expose nervousness when their expectancies are violated. If reading is
scheduled to end at 9:50 A.M. and arithmetic to begin at 10:00 A.M., students will
start to engage in some nonverbal ‘leave-talking’ behaviours around 9:45, such as
putting away pens ad pencils, closing notebooks, shuffling feet, and looking at a clock.
Some authors suggests that it is probably not good to introduce new material near
the end of a class period, since the time for attentiveness has in all likelihood passed
its peak.
On the other hand some research suggests that attention rises before the end of the
class. Solution could be to be consistent in ending class at the time so that students
know that their time will not be violated and there is no need for nonverbal warnings.
One of the more important uses of time on the part of the teacher is the use of the
pause. Pausing while presenting information usually emphasizes the content that has
just preceded or will immediately follow.
Most classrooms involve interactions between teachers and students, with the
teacher asking questions to which the student is expected to respond. One of the
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hardest things for teachers to learn is to take sufficient time between asking the
question and expecting an answer. Very often, the teacher expects an instant
response. Frequently, no such response is forthcoming. The teacher may then give
the answer, or may call on some poor student who is not ready to answer. Voluntary
responses to questions in the classroom almost always occur if the teacher is willing
to wait long enough.
It is not suggestion, of course, to wait a 10 min. waiting period, but if we examine
teacher behaviour, we find that teachers seldom wait as long as 5 seconds!
In addition, children have different response rates. Some children can process
question and determine what their answer will be quickly, while other children take
two or times time as long to determine their response. This does not indicate a
difference in intelligence or preparation on the part of the children, only a difference
in response pattern.
Children who respond quickly, of course, tend to become favorites of the teacher.
Those who wait a long time probably participate much below average in most
teachers’ classrooms.
So advice to teacher is to learn how to wait for a response and do not always call on
the first student who is ready to respond.
An interesting thing can be added here. It is well known that most children, as well as
most adults, can be placed into one of two categories relating to their bodily time:
‘sparrows’ and ‘owl’s. Sparrows are early risers and are at their best in the morning.
Conversely, owls, like their namesakes, do not function well in the morning, but begin
functioning better as the day proceeds and are at their best in the evening.
While the largest percentage of both children and adults fall into the owl category,
elementary and secondary schools in the United States almost exclusively follow a
sparrow pattern.
This is still strong cultural norm and it is probably not going to be drastically changed
in foreseeable future, so that it is valuable for teacher to keep this in mind.
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CONCLUSION
Words are accented and punctuated by body movements and gestures, while the
face shows a myriad of expressions. Men are like Geneva watches with crystal faces
which express the whole movement.
It is important to be aware of the dominance of the nonverbal message. If there is
disagreement between the verbal and nonverbal message, the nonverbal will win.
Also, the validity and reliability of verbal messages are checked by nonverbal actions.
Again, if discrepancy exists, the nonverbal will dictate.
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Therefore students see the teachers’ nonverbal messages as more honest reflections
of what he is really thinking or feeling.
Based on this, and all other stated findings, we can reasonably conclude that further
serious investigation of the effects of nonverbal signalization in the classroom could
result in extremely useful pedagogical information.
Effective teaching depends on successful communication and successful
communication - on successful. By definition of NVC (non-verbal communication),
without uttering a single word, teachers and students constantly send messages to
each other.
In this paper, I highlight certain aspects of nonverbal classroom communication.
There is certainly much more to explore in this area, and this discussion encouraged
me to pursue the topic further.
In writing this paper my primary interest was to gather useful knowledge for my own
later reference. Wonderful books I found on this topic were real discovery because
this is the first time I am dealing with this with topic in this way.
Before this, I just knew from experience that there is extremely powerful nonverbal
communication going on in every classroom all the time and.
Being aware of this, I thought it could be useful to find out more about it - and I was
right. At first I tried to describe my observations in real classrooms but it was too
subtle for describing and without any experimental or other objective evidence (I
could not interview students or teacher after class and ask them if they really felt like
I thought in some particular moment).
So I took this approach with intention to benefit from already known resources
instead of discovering new knowledge.
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