Analyses of verbal and nonverbal behaviors of teachers teaching reading

Approximately fifteen minutes of videotapes were made of the same five female teachers teaching reading (grades 2-5) in Spring 1977 and Spring 1979. Teachers taught the same grade level at each taping. Data were classified using two observational systems: PIT (for Personal, Institutional, and Task events) and IDER (Indirect, Direct, Encouraging, Restricting). IDER simultaneously collects verbal and nonverbal behaviors. The primary data sources were the 3,017 IDER and the 370 PIT behaviors classified from the pre and post videotaping of the teachers. Ratios to describe interactions and Chi-square to test for significance of changes in frequencies of behaviors were primary analyses. Inter- and intra-rater reliabilities were established above .80 using two computational approaches, the Scott pi coefficient and the percentage method.

This study of teacher behavior identified some patterns of teacher behaviors and behavior change. Significant findings (.05) between pre and post data were: (1) decrease in Restricting nonverbal behaviors, (2) decrease in Direct verbal behaviors, and (3) increase in student talk. There were fewer communication events in the post analyses and teachers spent more time on each event. Less than 10 percent of IDER behaviors were "silence or confusion" (much was silent reading), and 93 percent of PIT behaviors were "Task." Thus, in the reading project there was a high degree of time on task behavior.

Teacher behaviors to pupils were generally in proportion to the ratio of male/female/black/white pupils in the classes. However, black pupils received a greater frequency of behaviors from all teachers than expected. Teacher communication cues were distributed almost exactly in relation to pupil sex.

In the post-analyses there was more acceptance of student ideas and student response to the teachers, and less teacher direction giving than in the pre-analyses. There was measurable change in classroom climate toward more facilitative and positive interaction as shown by the PIT and IDER observation systems.