| This dissertation was a study of the nature, functions, and achievement implications of naturally occurring classroom communication between teachers and their high communicatively apprehensive students. The study was conducted in a private elementary school, with participants including one third grade teacher, one fourth grade teacher, and 60 students. Data collection procedures and methods consisted of 90 hours of descriptive narrative and quantified classroom interaction data, two administrations of a self report measure of student communication apprehension (CA), one administration of a teacher academic expectation rating instrument, three one-hour teacher interviews, and one measure of standardized student achievement. All data were collected over a 15 week semester. Data were subjected to statistical correlation analyses as well as narrative case study analyses in order to address four research questions. Results indicated that although students with high CA initiated less interaction with both teachers than did their low CA counterparts, neither teacher initiated differential amounts or content of interaction with students as a function of the students' level of CA. Data revealed that neither teacher held differential academic expectations for students as a function of their level of CA. There was also no significant difference in student standardized achievement scores as a function of their level of CA. In addition, classroom differences in teacher preferred participant structures which coincided with classroom differences in changes in student level of CA were identified. The results were discussed in light of extant theory and research on CA, teacher expectations, and achievement deficits in elementary school students. |
