Chambers 1

Abigail Chambers
Instructor Long-Kish
English 111
28 April 2016
Improving Communication in The Classroom
Imagine sitting in a lecture hall of two hundred people, the professor lectures for 30
minutes and then instructs the students to break up into small groups to review and discuss the
lecture and no one moves. There is a problem with verbal communication in face-to-face college
classrooms. The communication in the classroom can be hindered by students who are
disengaged or uncomfortable participating; moreover, teachers who are disengaged in the
material or who do not promote communication can hinder participation. According to Kim,
Cable, and Kim, Students who enjoy their teacher and class topic and believe they are treated
fairly are more likely to work harder, to achieve more, and ultimately to be more proactive (qtd.
in Sidelinger 89). It seems reasonable that these goals can be achieved by creating a healthy
communicating classroom. Researchers have been looking at how communication within the
classroom can be encouraged and strengthened. To create a classroom where students want to
verbally communicate, teachers must improve the overall quality by encouraging intrinsic
motivation, creating effective groups, and systematizing their instruction.
Encouraging intrinsic motivation is also a key component to open communication in the
classroom. Having students create individual goals allows them to feel empowered and in control
of their own education. It allows students to think freely while also creating an environment in
which they feel comfortable to ask for help from instructors. Establishing individual goals that
both the teacher and student agree upon opens the first door of academic communication. Once

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individual goals are created, educational goals should be implemented. According to Robert J.
Sidelinger, a great way to create a classroom where students want to communicate is by .
teachers and students working together to fulfill a variety of individual and educational goals
(88). By doing so, students have to communicate with instructors to make sure goals are being
successfully completed. When students are on the same page as instructors, it makes for a more
openly communicated classroom.
Creating a democracy that is facilitated by group work within a college classroom can
change the verbal communication dynamic. Democratic group work does include a lot of time
taken from professor to student instruction, but it does allow students to interact and
communicate more with fellow classmates. Some students feel as though they are paying for the
class so the instructor should teach as opposed to having to learn from people within their group.
If instructors create a democracy, it can help students to feel as though they do indeed have a
voice, allow them more of an opportunity to learn via their learning style, as well as empower
them. According to Cynthia Finelli, Allen Klinger, and Dan D. Bundy, teaching individuals
through their learning style strengths improves their achievement, self-esteem, and attitude
toward learning (493). In a study on democracy and group work, conducted by Eikenberry et al.,
students reported feeling more confident when they were given the responsibility of being a
leader (122). One student said the level of comfort I had with the class caused me to speak up
more in that class than I ever have, and this has continued in my other courses (Eikenberry et
al.122). By allowing students to interact with one another, not only is the student being
socialized, they are also learning how to communicate effectively with others who may not share
the same beliefs. By creating a democracy, students are able to form a partnership with the
instructor, opening a non-confrontational channel of communication, which turns criticism

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into suggestion (Eikenberry et al.123). Students ultimately end up feeling as though their
opinions and ideas matter in the classroom, additionally helping students feel more confident to
engage in communication within the classroom. Despite the potential problems, a well
structured democracy can work.
Systemization can also create an open communicating environment. By strategizing and
planning accordingly, teachers can have a plan set in place for students to succeed. According to
the Complacent Teachers: Students At Risk written by Leticia M. White, Complacency on the
part of teachers tends to foster complacency toward learning in students at risk. Teachers will not
promote active learning if teacher educators rely solely on lecture methods (195). Within our
society today, some teachers have become complacent in their position and continuously reuse
old materials year after year. A well prepare teacher reflects a well-prepared classroom.
According to Finelli et al, success in a course comes, in part, from having a planned structure
(491). When an instructor knows their material well, it makes it easier to create a more engaged
environment; implementing new ways of learning to help engage students as opposed to the
overly used method of just lecturing where students are unable to communicate as often.
When instructors make classrooms fun, democratic, open-minded and planned, students
are more likely to succeed. Students need instructors who are willing to continuously challenge
themselves as well as find new ways to challenge students. Building new ways of community
and communication within the classroom is important. Students are becoming more and more
confident in classrooms as well as classrooms are become more and more cooperative. The
continuous efforts of research and experimental classroom trials can someday eventually lead to
an effectively communicating classroom.

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Works Cited
Eikenberry, Angela M., Erin N. Blaszak, Beth A. Morrissette, and R. J. Redden. "Improving
Quality and Creating Democracy in the Classroom." Administrative Theory & Praxis 31.1
(2009): 119-126. Print.
Finelli, Cynthia J., Allen Klinger, and Dan D. Bundy. "Strategies for Improving the Classroom
Environment." Journal of Engineering Education 90.4 (2001): 491+. Print.
Sidelinger, Robert J.. College Student Involvement: An Examination of
Student Characteristics and Perceived Instructor Communication Behaviors in the
Classroom. Communication Studies 61.1 (2010): 87-103. Print.
White, Leticia M. Complacent Teachers: Students At Risk. Journal of At Risk,
July 1995. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.