This research reports on the teacher language and gesture that contributed to shifts in thinking about the equal sign and equations observed in twenty kindergarteners who took part in an early algebra intervention. Our analysis revealed ways in which the teacher used language and gesture to support students in moving from describing and working…

This study investigates how pre-service English teachers interrupt extended wait-time in English as a foreign language classroom contexts. Utilizing extended wait-time is an indicator of Classroom Interactional Competence, and thus it is an essential skill for efficient language teachers. In the literature, there are quite a few studies on how…

We present a case study of how five instructors used gesture when introducing the second derivative test in a first semester calculus class. The second derivative test and optimization naturally evoke hand motions while teaching, making this a fertile ground for studying gesture use in the classroom. Each of the five instructors used a classic…

Gestures are profoundly integrated into our communication. This study focuses on the impact that gestures have in a mathematical setting, specifically in an undergraduate calculus workshop. There was strong correlation between diagramming and the two types of gestures identified in this study (i.e., dynamic and static gestures). Dynamic and static…

This paper was envisioned as largely a literature review, but surprisingly, there was very little to find besides a comprehensive body of information pertaining to nonverbal aspects of pedagogy almost exclusively dealing with management of the instructor's nonverbal behavior. The paper, therefore, presents what seems to be the most salient cues…

Sociolinguistic data regarding code selection and nonverbal modes of learning are examined in the gesture communication system of the (Oglala and Brule) Sioux. Sign language is viewed as an extra-linguistic mode of communication currently in use in Indian classrooms. It is one alternative to literacy as a means of communication; however, this is…

In the first of two experiments, positive and negative expectations about a teacher were induced in a student who was about to be taught by that teacher, and both verbal and nonverbal measurements were taken. Results showed that subjects responded quite directly to the experimental manipulation. In the second experiment, a student simulated some…

An investigation of the principal nonverbal factors elicited by four major correlational studies that examined the relationship between process and product variables in American elementary school classrooms yields several discernible trends, but for the most part contributes mainly to establishing a set of recommendations to guide future research…

A study which replicated previous research focused on the perceived affiliative communication behaviors of teachers within the classroom, their relationship to student learning, and the interrelationship among those behaviors. Six hypotheses were formulated based on already published literature. These hypotheses suggest that student perceptions of…

There can be little doubt that one of the main reasons for the present interest in the study of the varieties of English and their implications for language teaching is the way in which these varieties impinge on one another. Mixed populations from different ethnic sources, geographical areas, and language backgrounds find their representations in…

Happy, neutral, and unhappy visual expressions were combined with positive, neutral, and negative intonations of positive, neutral, and negative messages to investigate congruent and incongruent verbal/nonverbal classroom communication. The 53 students in the study viewed pictures of their teacher, listened to a recording of their teacher, then…

Sets of photographs of male and female teachers in formal, moderate, and informal attire were rated by 100 college students on five-point scales covering ten positive teacher characteristics. The characteristics were fair, sympathetic toward student problems, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, friendly, flexible, organized, stimulating, well prepared…

Writing labs should utilize the knowledge gained from a variety of fields to enhance further their programs, particularly with regard to the study of nonverbal communication. Regardless of the sincerity and importance of the tutor's suggestions, nonverbal messages often are sent to the student which undermine the session. Various channels of…

A study was conducted to analyze the role that nonverbal communication plays in classroom climate. A 40-item classroom communication climate questionnaire was developed, and administered to 76 students and 8 teachers to determine its reliability and validity. After several changes and deletions, the final version of the questionnaire was…

Assuming that teacher effectiveness and nonverbal communication are interrelated, an analysis of nonverbal communication and teacher assessment of nonverbal action is appropriate. A review of the literature indicates that nonverbal behaviors may be examined by the impressionistic and the quantitative methods. Each of these methods generates…