Chapter 5: Nonverbal Communication in Teaching

Abstract

Research in many settings outside the classroom has indicated that nonverbal communication can serve a wide range of functions in human interaction. These include: (1)

Gestures: Their Role in Teaching and Learning

“…I therefore have excluded studies that focus on the role of nonverbal communication in determining social impressions (e.g., DePaulo, 1992); on the role of gesture as regulating mechanism through back-channeling or gaze-direction (e.g., Bavelas, Chovil, Coates & Roe, 1995;Dittman & Llewellyn, 1968;Duncan, 1972;Kendon, 1967); and on the contribution to communication by proxemics and paralanguage. (For a review of related educational practices see Woolfolk & Brooks, 1983.) I also have excluded studies that focus primarily on development of sign language, influence of neurological damage, speech disfluency, or evolution of language (Gibson & Ingold, 1993;Iverson & Goldin-Meadow, 1998;Messing & Campbell, 1999).…”

Understanding Difficulties and Resulting Confusion in Learning: An Integrative Review

“…Thus, at the most fundamental level, confusion is both widely experienced and relatively easily detected by teachers, despite the uncertainty about the exact relationship between difficulties and emotional responses in learning. Thus, student emotions, such as confusion, are relatively straightforward for experienced teachers to detect, understand and respond to in face-to-face settings with relatively small class sizes (see Woolfolk and Brooks, 1983;Woolf et al, 2009;Mainhard et al, 2018). The same is not true in digital environments or large classes.…”

Three Characteristics of Effective Teachers

“…Nonverbal communication is a key factor in effective teaching for all subject areas. Until the 1970s, educational research focused almost entirely on verbal communication patterns, whereas the importance of nonverbal communication in the classroom had not been systematically studied (Galloway, 1974;Grant & Hennings, 1977;Woolfolk & Brooks, 1983). Since then, educational researchers have been able to identify relationships between nonverbal teaching behaviors and communication skills of classroom teachers with students' academic achievement and attitudes toward school (Hughes, 1981).…”

“…Since then, educational researchers have been able to identify relationships between nonverbal teaching behaviors and communication skills of classroom teachers with students' academic achievement and attitudes toward school (Hughes, 1981). In addition, according to Woolfolk and Brooks (1983), an ongoing, reciprocal process of nonverbal communication regularly occurs between teachers and students during normal classroom activities.…”