Teachers' communication behaviors and supervisors' evaluation of instruction in elementary and secondary classrooms

Abstract

In the face of declining SAT scores, and charges that students’ learning of basic skills is glaringly deficient, there have been calls for increased assessment of teaching. Yet, little is known about those competencies which make teachers effective. This study built on previous studies that have indicated relationships between students’ learning and perceptions of teachers’ selected communication behaviors. Elementary and secondary teachers’ willingness to communicate, nonverbal immediacy, and communication competence were found to be predictive of supervisors’ evaluations of students’ learning and overall teaching effectiveness. It is suggested that while situational constraints in the classroom may mitigate some predispositions to avoid communication, supervisors may distinguish between effective and ineffective teachers based upon contact outside of the classroom. Effective teaching was perceived to have more influence on affective learning than upon cognitive and behavioral learning. Conclusions suppo...