An analysis of how teacher nonverbal communication is affected by gender and race of the student in a middle school setting.

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the extent and particular nature of the difference between teacher nonverbal behavior toward black male students as opposed to white male students, black female students, and white female students. The hypotheses tested were: (1) Teachers display more negative nonverbal behaviors toward the black male than the white male, the black female, or the white female. (2) Students who receive a high number of positive nonverbal communications from their teacher have higher grades. (3) Students who receive a high number of positive nonverbal communications from their teachers have higher scores on a classroom environment measurement. (4) Black male students receive a lower number of positive nonverbal communications from their teachers than white males, black females or white females. The Nonverbal Analysis Instrument was used to record teacher nonverbal communication directed at students in classroom settings. Two experienced teachers, one black female and one white female, were trained to collect the data in classrooms taught by two white males, two white females, two black males, and two black females. The data were collected in classrooms of a middle school with a racial breakdown of sixty percent white students and forty percent black students. None of the hypotheses proved to be statistically significant. However, there was a trend in that black males received more negative nonverbal communications than any other racial-gender group. Surprisingly, the amount of positive nonverbal communication the black male received when compared to all other groups was statistically significant. This was true in spite of the fact that black males as a group had lower average grades than any other racial-gender group.