China is the leading source of international students for the UK. However, there are many differences between Chinese and UK classroom culture; for example, Chinese students may do well in tests and assignments in class, but they are very quiet and are often reluctant to speak up within the classroom environment. This silent behaviour can be a…

This paper shows how student teachers can learn to see, through analysis of videotaped classroom scenes, the underlying rules informing the patterns of interactions between teachers and pupils. A single classroom scene where the first impression is of complete chaos with one student running amok is analyzed in detail. (MT)

Network analysis, a research methodology that uses interpersonal relationships as the unit of analysis in identifying communication structures, was used in a study of college classroom communication to determine what communication network factors were associated with student grades. Questionnaires asking for student perceptions of their…

The use of discourse analysis in examining the classroom language interactions between English teachers and their students builds on the basic concepts of language function and language sequence. The four language functions are eliciting, informing, directing, and boundary marking (marking the divisions of discourse units). The three language…

Grading style refers to the regularities and variations in the judging habits of instructors. To test the contention that grading is a communication act and ought to be related to other communication variables like instructor responsiveness, a study examined data collected from 15 teaching assistants and 2 faculty members. In addition, it reviewed…

A study investigated the different kinds of resistance techniques used by students in the college Spanish language classroom. Subjects were 30 undergraduate students, 10 at each of three instructional levels, representing a wide range of academic majors and concentrations. All completed a version of the Compliance-Resistance Techniques and…

Research reveals striking differences in college classroom participation patterns across gender, race, and ethnicity. Trained faculty can change these patterns. An American University experimental equity training program illustrated that trained faculty (n=23) were 38 percent more interactive than the control group, giving more precise feedback to…

Generated a list of power strategies or behavior alteration techniques (BATs) that elementary and secondary teachers perceive as effective in managing student behavior. Investigated their use and found that teachers rely primarily on reward-type BATs and frequently use the student's "audience" to effect change. (PD)

As part of a research project on teacher power in the classroom, a study examined behavior alteration techniques (BATs) and behavior representative messages (BAMs) used by elementary and secondary school teachers in classroom management. In the first phase of the study, 177 college students generated lists of BATs and BAMs, and then, working in…

A study explored the processes and attitudes that occur when assigning students a final course grade. The final grades for 1,578 students in a basic communication course were used in discriminant analyses. The level (the mean of all grades given) and the spread (standard deviation of all grades given) were estimated for each of 17 instructors. The…

Survey data from 1,069 students in a small private college were used to assess why students offer comments or raise questions in class. Results indicate that class traits and student traits explained the most variance; neither professors' gender nor professors' interpersonal style played a central role in class participation. (Author/MSE)

Based on the realization that professors' cultural and personal backgrounds affect the way they transmit information and the way they interact with men and women students in their classes, this booklet is designed to help faculty members assess how they are presenting subject matter to their students. The first section of the booklet,…

This paper discusses inequities and injustices toward women and advocates remedies through education. Practical suggestions based upon expectations theory and the Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement Test (TESA) program offer teachers ways to reduce discrimination and improve achievement in classrooms, especially for those denied an equal…

Nonverbal teacher behavior is recognized as an important factor in establishing a positive social climate in the classroom. A feedback and analysis instrument is presented focusing on specific nonverbal teacher behaviors. These behaviors--facial expressions, gestures, body movements, and idiosyncratic characteristics--are categorized as either…

A model of classroom characteristics and interaction is used to examine the roles of group size, problem types, and student behaviors, central concerns in problem-based learning, in medical education. The model incorporates six classroom dimensions, including four process variables (classroom organization, learning task, teacher's instruction,…