Observational Learning of Indirect Verbal Behavior Through the Medium of Audio-Tapes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of audio-tapes as a medium for observational learning of a specific teaching behavior. An experimental design, utilizing an experimental and control group, tested the hypothesis that preservice teachers exposed to observation of models of teaching episodes which dem onstrate a high degree of indirect verbal interaction have a more indirect verbal pattern, when teaching, than those not exposed to such treatment. To test the validity of the hypothesis, the members of the experimental group were exposed to an audio-taped model teaching episode. Then, the members of both groups were taped teaching a lesson under similar circumstances from a content plan parallel to that of the model. I/D ratios were calculated from the tape analyses as prescribed by the Flanders Interaction Analysis System, and compared at the .05 level of significance by the Mann-Whitney U Test. The findings showed that the verbal behavior of the experimental group was significantly more indirect than that of the control group. WAYS TO incorporate experiences into a pre service teacher education program that would enable students to integrate theory and practical experience are receiving increasing attention among professors of education. This concern stems from the realization that theory is learned only to the extent that it can be applied in actual teaching situations. Yet, with the ever increasing number of education majors, the mechanics of providing worthwhile opportunities to observe and then to practice specific teaching skills be come more and more of a problem. Expense, time, materials, and availability of children introduce complications that often present seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Therefore, it is impera tive that attention be directed to the develop ment of specific techniques that involve a maxi mum economy of time and expense, but yet pro vide opportunities to observe and practice specific teaching skills. This study investigated one such possibility within the theoretical framework of observational learning. Theoretical Framework In spite of its ubiquity, observational learning was not given concentrated attention until Ban dura (2) first emphasized its unique features as recently as 1962. Although research has been done since to study the effect of imitation of models upon personality development in children, there seem to be few studies to determine the effec tiveness of the technique in the area of teacher education. Educators (5) at Stanford University have come closest to the underlying principle in the use of models to influence the behavior of inexperienced teachers. Micro-teaching sessions were used there to provide opportunity to practice specific teaching behaviors. In the experiments with micro-teaching sessions it was found that maximum profit was derived from periods of ap proximately 5 minutes in length, thereby giving support to conditions of practice that put mini mum demands on time as well as availability of children.