The effect student teachers who have received communication skills training have on their classroon students' verbal behaviors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate 1) if student teachers' verbal behaviors change as a result of participation in a communication skills training program and 2) if classroom students' verbal behaviors change as a result of their student teachers' modifying their verbal behavior through a communication skills training program. To accomplish the above purpose regular education classrooms were observed before, during and after a group of student teachers received communication skills training. There were seven, third and fourth grade student teachers whose classrooms were observed. The experimental group consisted of three of those student teachers, and the control had the remaining four. There were 75 classroom students whose student teacher received training and 108 classroom students whose student teacher did not receive training. The student teachers and the classroom students were compared on the following measures: 1) positive verbal responses of student teachers? 2) negative verbal responses of student teachers; 3) total verbal responses of student teachers; 4) positive verbal responses of classroom students? 5) negative verbal responses of classroom students; and 6) total verbal responses of classroom students. Student teachers who received communication skills training increased their positive verbal behaviors after the training. Student teachers who received communication skills training decreased their negative verbal behaviors after the training. Classroom students whose teacher received communication skills training increased their positive verbal behaviors after the training of their teacher. These changes were maintained after a four week follow-up period. Although this study did not suggest a cause-effect relationship, it implies that some relationship exists between teacher and pupil communication.