Project Description:
This qualitative study explores the nature and impact of teachers gestures in preschool classrooms. While there is a growing body of evidence that teachers gestures in elementary school and language classrooms mediate student outcomes (Elia, Gagatsis, & van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, 2014; Rosborough, 2014; Matsumoto & Dobbs, 2016; zalışkan et al., 2017; Belhiah, 2013; Stam, 2013), little comparable evidence has been gathered about the effects of non-verbal communication among teachers and children in a pre-school classroom setting, and the research that has been published is experimental and not in a natural classroom setting (Dargue, Sweller, & Jones, 2019). This study will expand the knowledge base about teachers gestures to include effects on preschoolers and establish a coding schema that can be used in further research and practice.
The project will involve analyzing short video segments of teachers interacting with children engaged in natural play-based learning activities. The key research questions are:
1. What are the nature and characteristics of gestures observed in teachers behavior during interaction with preschool children who are engaged in play-based learning activities?
2. What is the relationship between teachers gestures and their spoken language?
3. How do teachers gestures mediate childrens learning? In other words, how do gestures provide scaffolding for learning?
Evidence from this study will provide a basis for additional research. Further, knowledge resulting from this study can be used to develop guidelines, tools, and training on teacher gestures, and inform college faculty responsible for teacher preparation programs.
