Goffman Research Paper Final draft
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Body Language in the Classroom
Rachel Brunner
Professor Dr. Stephanie Bennett
COM 3163: Nonverbal Communication
18 October 2023
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Rachel Brunner
Professor Dr. Stephanie Bennett COM 3163: Nonverbal Communication 18 October 2023
Body Language in the Classroom
In the classroom, teachers and students have their own way of expressing body language, which plays an important role in the learning process. Body language contributes to the overall learning environment by conveying a great deal of information. To better understand a person, it is essential to understand their body language. In Goffman’s book,
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
,
he states, “The expressive coherence that is required in performances points out a crucial discrepancy between our all-too-human selves and our socialized selves. As human beings we are presumably creatures of variable impulse with moods and energies that change from one moment to the next. As characters put on for an audience, however, we must not be subjects to ups or downs. A certain bureaucratization of the spirit is expected so that we can be relied upon to give a perfectly homogenous performance at every appointed time” (Goffman). In the classroom, various aspects of body language significantly influence learning and help to build relationships between teachers and students. Proper body language helps communicate effectively in the classroom and provides a positive learning environment. Body language in the classroom plays a significant role in the learning process, and a successful teaching and learning experience requires one to pay attention to one’s own body language and to others’ non-verbal cues such as eye contact, posture, gestures, and facial expressions, during the learning process.
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In the classroom, teachers, and students, both use eye contact as a part of their body language in communication. Making eye contact between teachers and students exemplifies a body language interaction of the classroom. M. Anderson states, “
Nonverbal communication without obligatory ties to language is by far the most diverse category, and may be vocal, involving sounds originating in the vocal tract, or nonvocal” (Anderson)
. Eye contact is a nonvocal communication used in the classroom by both teachers and students to influence learning. Students’ academic progress is greatly influenced by how their teachers engage with them and treat them during classroom interactions. Eye contact from teachers to students can establish a connection with students and greatly influence their learning. It is important for teachers to maintain eye contact to monitor students’ engagement, and signal students to participate in class. Students can also establish a connection with teachers through eye contact engagement and signal their interest in learning and adherence to their teachers’ authority. Students demonstrate attentiveness and respect to their teachers when they make eye contact while a teacher is speaking. By using eye contact, students often seek approval from teachers or guidance from them. Classroom peers may also communicate nonverbally by making eye contact
with one another. Peer-to-peer eye contact can indicate that students are actively participating in discussions or responding to questions, and they demonstrate that they are paying attention to classroom learning. Students may respond differently to eye contact in the classroom depending on the context, purpose, and the individual. It also encourages student-teacher interaction when eye contact is made throughout the classroom between students. Striking a balance between eye contact and maintaining a conversation is essential. Extending eye contact or staring intensely can cause an impression of discomfort in a teacher or student. To facilitate effective communication and create a positive classroom atmosphere, it is essential to use eye contact in
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order to facilitate effective and positive communication. Teachers’ eye contact can have a significant impact on students, so it’s vital that teachers use it responsibly. By using eye contact effectively, students can become more engaged, participate, and comprehend more. The use of proper eye contact engagement as a body language is important for teachers and students to maintain in the classroom, which is also true of maintaining good posture.
Teachers and students both interpret posture as part of their body language in the classroom. An upright posture can convey authority and confidence, which can be demonstrated by a teacher or student with good posture. Author M. Anderson states, “Nonverbal’ suggests a relationship with ‘verbal,’ that term narrowly referring to human spoken language, or speech” (Anderson)
. Posture as a nonverbal communication, coupled with the verbal communication of a classroom, creates a learning environment. An engaged posture indicates that a teacher is actively involved in the teaching process by facing the classroom of students and moving purposefully in their posture when teaching. The purpose of this body language technique is to capture students’ attention and help them to concentrate in the classroom through the teachers’ posture. However, a teacher’s posture needs to also appear approachable by students, and that can often involve taking a more relaxed stance in posture. The posture of a teacher should be approachable, yet confident in the classroom environment. Students may feel more comfortable interacting with a teacher who has a relaxed but professional stance rather than one who is overly
rigid. Teachers should be mindful of how they stand or posture themselves while teaching, as their posture can have a significant effect on students’ behavior and the mood of the classroom. Likewise, students who have good posture are more likely engaged, whereas those who have bad
posture are more likely unengaged. When students sit upright and are attentively, they show they are interested in what they are learning. Engagement and attentiveness of students can be
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detected by the way they sit and carry themselves. Students who are in an upright position are generally engaged and listening actively. It can show disinterest or discomfort when a student slouches, fiddles, or turns their body away from a teacher. Students who are having difficulty learning the material can be checked in on by teachers using these cues of posture in body language. In addition, students who engage in class discussions, ask questions, and interact with their classmates are more likely to sit forward, make eye contact, and maintain an open posture body position in learning. Teachers can contribute to the physical well-being in the classroom by being aware of their posture and the posture of their students. Using non-verbal communication, classroom posture can convey confidence, engagement, approachability, and attention. Posture can be used by both teachers and students to facilitate positive and effective learning, much like the use of gestures in the classroom.
Body language in the classroom is largely derived from gestures. Teachers and students can communicate, engage, and understand each other better through gestures. It is important for teachers to use gestures when explaining concepts in the classroom because gestures often clarify
and simplify complex ideas. Author M. Anderson states, “The body itself communicates particularly through the face, and through all gestures, all stances, and all other behavior, especially that involving movement and distance as well” (
Anderson
)
. It is possible for students to become more familiar with abstract concepts with the help of these visual aids using gestures.
Additionally, it makes a lecture or discussion more effective by emphasizing key points with gestures. Students can better retain information if they are made aware of it through a simple gesture or movement. It is possible for teachers to make their instructions more understandable by using gestures as a visual aid for students when learning. For instance, an equation or scientific process could be demonstrated through hand movement gestures to cue students’
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learning. The use of gestures can assist in emphasizing points, explaining concepts, and ensuring that students are engaged. Distracting gestures, however, include excessive movements or erratic
movements. Gestures that accompany relevant information may help students better understand and remember material. Likewise, gestures by students can be used to express how they feel about the lesson. By using this method, teachers can see the mood in the classroom and address any concerns or issues that arise. Teachers and students both benefit from gesturing as a means of communicating non-verbally in the classroom. Gestures facilitate effective teaching, learning, and interaction. An effective and dynamic educational environment can be achieved through enhanced communication, engagement, and comprehension. Head nods are a gesture used in the classroom, and depending on the context, nodding can signal agreement, understanding, or encouragement. By the use of a head nod gesture teachers can demonstrate their appreciation for the contributions of their students and that they are actively listening to them. Providing feedback to students through gestures of smiles, nods, and thumbs up, can indicate that students are on the right track, while furrowed brows or thoughtful pauses may indicate that students need
more time or effort is needed. In the journal by McCoy he says, “
At the start of
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
,
Goffman (1959)
describes interactions as a kind of “information game”—a game where persons not only attempt to control the perceived significance of their actions but also try to uncover the “real” meanings behind the actions of their interaction partner” (
McCoy
). Students’ comprehension can also be assessed using non-
verbal cues. Students with trouble understanding a topic may raise their eyebrows or ask questions if they have a quizzical expression. It is important to understand and recognize body language in the classroom through gestures. Both teachers and students should be aware of the messages their gestures convey and how they can impact the overall dynamics of the classroom.
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Body language through gestures play a pivotal role in the classroom for both teachers and students. Neither teachers nor students can communicate effectively and learn effectively without
nonverbal cues such as gestures used in the classroom, which is also true of facial expression.
Another form of body language used in the classroom is facial expression. It is common for teachers to express excitement, interest, and engagement with the subject matter by using their facial expressions as body language. M. Anderson
. states, “
(V)isual elements also contribute to any verbal message” (Anderson). Facial expressions can be used by teachers to demonstrate empathy and support to their students. Students are more likely to participate actively in lessons if they are encouraged to express themselves positively and animatedly through facial expressions. Creating a safe and positive learning environment encourages students to express their concerns and thoughts. The facial expressions of students play an important role in classroom management as well. In Goffman’s book,
The Presentation of Self in
Everyday Life
he states, “In our society, defecation involves an individual in activity which is defined as inconsistent with the cleanliness and purity standards expressed in many of our performances. Such activity also causes the individual to disarrange his clothing and to “go out of play,” that is, to drop from his face the expressive mask that he employs in face-to-face interaction. At the same time it becomes difficult for him to reassemble his personal front should the need to enter into interaction suddenly occur. Perhaps that is a reason why toilet doors in our society have locks on them” (Goffman). A facial expression of sternness or seriousness can signal the need for quiet and attention, whereas a smile or warm welcome can create a positive and inclusive learning environment. In the article, The Body and the Social Construction of Reality in Erving Goffman’s Microsociology
, Bălăiță says, “The risk of losing face represents a constant threat for any individual when the verbal and/or non-verbal behaviour contradicts the
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willed self-image” (
Bălăiță)
. Observing a student’s facial expressions can tell you if he or she understands what the teacher says. It is possible that a teacher who appears confused or concerned during a lesson indicates that the material in that lesson is complicated and needs additional attention. Teachers’ facial expressions have a very important effect on the classroom atmosphere. For example, if a teacher gives a student a dirty look, this can negatively impact their attitude and motivation, however, if a teacher gives a student a look of approval this might help to improve a student’s self-esteem and motivation. The use of body language through facial expressions by teachers and by students influences positive and effective classroom learning. In my survey I devised a set of interview questions to see how people are using nonverbal
communication cues through body language in the classroom effectively. The purpose of this report is to present results from a survey conducted to determine whether nonverbal communication cues and body language have an influence on the overall classroom environment.
I asked a group of 10 teachers and 10 students from different colleges to be a part of my survey. I
told each person to rate how much they agree with my questions on a scale 1 to 5. Number 1 being the worst/lowest and number 5 being the best/highest on the rating scale. The first question
I asked both teachers and students, “How much do you think body language plays a role in the classroom?” Sixty percent (6) of the of the 10 teachers agreed and rated body language on the scale as a 5 with highest importance. Whereas when I asked the students the same question only forty percent (4) of the 10 students agreed and rated body language at a 5 with highest importance. The six other students had a combination of answerers. Thirty percent said they neither agree nor disagreed with a 3 rating and the other 30% rated it a 4 and said they agreed. Out of curiosity I asked the teachers and students why they answered how they did and I got several different responses. For example, one teacher told me about how in class she will notice
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if her students are not paying attention when they cross their arms or by a certain expression on their face. Also, when I asked the students “why” one answered saying she would often make eye contact with the teacher in order to try and show she was engaged and listening. The second question asked to both teachers and students was, “Does eye contact, posture, gestures, and facial
expressions effect classroom development learning?” Untimely all teachers and students agreed with this question but only 70% of teachers rated it on the scale as a 5. The other three teachers rated it as a 4 and when I asked why they said it was due the fact that even when a teacher trys to
respond to different types of body languages such as eye contact, posture, gestures or facial expressions, sometimes students don’t want to be engaged in class. Only 10% of students strongly agreed and rated on the scale as a 5. The other 90% said they agreed and rated it a 4. I also asked the students to go into more detail to explain their answers. For example, one student said they can always tell in the teacher is in a good mood or bad mood the moment they walk into class simply based on the fact of the teacher’s posture as they come into class. The last question I asked the group of teachers and students was, “Do you think it is difficult to understand a teacher or students body language?” Only 10% of teachers strongly disagreed with this and rated it at a 1 rating. Forty percent of teachers said they disagree with a 3 and 40% said they neither agree nor disagree. However, 20% of teachers said they agreed that it is difficult to understand other people’s body language. Like before I asked the teachers to give more information for why they rated the question how they did. Multiple teachers that disagreed said that it was easy to look at a student and right away know if they are paying attention and did not find it difficult to read body language. In contrast the teachers that said they find it difficult to read some of the students during class because even when it appears they are paying attention the
student might just be zoning out and not listening. When I asked the students “Do you think it is
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difficult to understand a teacher or students body language?” 60% disagreed and rated it as a 4 on the scale. The other 40% rated this question a 3 and neither agreed nor disagreed. Like the teaches I also asked the students why they answered the question how they did. One student said it is difficult to read the body language of her teacher because she can tell her teacher is in a bad mood but does not know if it is from the other students or home life. Body language is sometimes very confusing for people if you are not able to identify the source of the body language and know what to look for. The findings I made based on my observations about body language in the classroom allowed me to learn a great deal. I have learned a lot from this assignment about body language in the classroom, using various aspects of body language including eye contact, posture, gestures and facial expressions.
Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
Teachers
Percentag
e
Percentage
Percentage
Percentag
e
Percentage
How much do you think
body language plays a role in the classroom?
40%
60%
Does eye contact, posture, gestures, and facial expressions effect classroom development
learning?
10%
30%
60%
Do you think it is difficult to undusted other people
body language?
10%
20%
40%
30%
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Strongly Disagree Disagree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
Students
Percentag
e
Percentage
Percentage
Percentag
e
Percentage
How much do you think
body language plays a role in the classroom?
30%
30%
40%
Does eye contact, posture, gestures, and facial expressions effect classroom development
learning?
90%
10%
Do you think it is difficult to undusted other people
body language?
10%
40%
40%
20%
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Body language is composed of elements such as eye contact, posture, gestures, and facial expressions, which play a significant role in the dynamics between students and teachers in the classroom, as well as their overall learning experience. In the classroom, teachers can communicate enthusiasm, establish authority, and foster a positive learning environment by using effective body language. The use of well-chosen gestures and facial expressions can assist in clarifying concepts and providing feedback, while maintaining proper eye contact can encourage engagement and participation. Students’ behavior and attitude can be influenced by their teachers’ posture and body language in the classroom. As well as body language and the nonverbal cues of the teacher, nonverbal cues play a significant role in affecting the level of understanding, engagement, and participation of students in class. In addition to eye contact, gestures and facial expressions can help students communicate with the teacher and gauge whether the teacher is interested and how he or she is going to proceed. Body language can boost
student motivation and self-esteem when teachers’ body language is positive, whereas negative cues can backfire and disrupt a classroom. In the classroom, body language has a great deal of influence on relationship between teachers and students, classroom atmosphere, and educational effectiveness. The art of teaching and the process of learning extend beyond mere words. Understanding and use of nonverbal cues can enhance the pursuit of knowledge in the classroom and make the learning process more engaging, supportive, and productive by the use of positive and effective eye contact, posture, gesture, and facial expressions between students and teachers in the classroom.
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Works Cited
Anderson, M. Nonverbal Communication, Editor(s): Keith Brown, Encyclopedia of Language &
Linguistics (Second Edition), Elsevier, 2006, Pages 690-692, ISBN 9780080448541,
Accessed Oct. 17, https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-044854-2/01432-2
.
Bălăiță, R. (2016). The Body and the Social Construction of Reality in Erving Goffman’s
Microsociology. In A. Sandu, T. Ciulei, & A. Frunza (Eds.), Logos Universality
Mentality Education Novelty, vol 15. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural \
Goffman, Erving, 1922-1982. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Garden City, N.Y.
:Doubleday, 1959.
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McCoy, C. A. (2017). Playing Goffman’s Information Game: A Classroom Activity Involving
Student Interactions.
Teaching Sociology
,
45
(3), 260-268. Accessed Oct. 17,
2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X17690793