Effective teachers of Indian and Eskimo high school students

The focus of this study is upon analyzing effective and ineffective teachers in terms of their behavior in the classroom, not in terms of their personalities or attitudes. It is suggested that 2 fundamental characteristics distinguish effective from ineffective teachers of American Indian and Eskimo students: (1) a high level of personal warmth, especially warmth communicated nonverbally through facial expression, body distance, and touch; and (2) a high level of active demandingness in the classroom--demandingness expressed as an aspect of the teacher's personal concern for the student, rather than a concern for subject matter. This study also suggests the need for pre-service and in-service training for teachers to acquire the type of interpersonal behavior that facilitates learning among the Indian and Eskimo students. Teachers of Indian and Eskimo students were observed in 2 boarding schools and in 5 integrated urban high schools during the 1970-71 school year. The focus was on teachers of 9th grade Indian and Eskimo students. The teachers were videotaped to permit a more intensive analysis and interviewed to discuss problems of village students and effective teaching methods. The "Supportive Gadflies," who exhibited personal warmth and active demandingness, appeared to be successful with the Indian and Eskimo students as compared to the other types of teachers (traditionalists, sophisticates, and sentimentalists). (FF)

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