FLANDERS INTERACTION ANALYSIS CATEGORY SYSTEM AND CONCEPTUAL

ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY TRAITS

The problem of the present research is involving a study of classroom behavior of teacher-
trainees having different personality traits. The twenty-two dimensions of teaching behavior
according to Flanders Interaction Category System as dependent variables and the twelve
personality factors as independent variables are accepted for the study of teacher-trainees
regarding classroom behavior.

This chapter is divided into two sections:

(a) Flanders Interaction Analysis Category System; and

(b) Conceptual Aspects of Personality

2.1 (a) Flanders Interaction Analysis Category System (FIACS)

This (FIACS) technique was developed by Dr. Ned A. Flander at the university of Minnesota
between 1955 and I960. It is an observation technique which records classroom interaction in ten
categories. This system measures only the verbal behavior of teachers. This tool which is
developed by Dr. Ned A. Flanders related children's attitudes to patterns of teacher influence.
Interaction analysis is primarily concerned with analyzing the influence patterns of the teacher,
and distinguishes those acts of the teacher which increase pupils' freedom of action from those
acts 22 that decrease it. The system of categories forms a screen in front of observer's eyes so
that those acts which result in compliance are sharply separated from those that invite more
creative and voluntary participation while certain aspects of subject matter are ignored.

2.1.1 Description of Categories

In the Flanders ten category system all the events that occur in the classroom are classified into
three major sections: (1) Teacher-talk, (2) Student-talk, (3) Silence or confusion. These sections
are subdivided in order to make the total pattern of teacher pupil interaction more meaningful.
Teacher talk is divided into two sub-heads viz., indirect influence and direct influence. Indirect
influence consists of four observation categories: (l) accepting feeling; (2) praising or
encouraging; (3) accepting ideas, and (k) asking questions. Direct influence is divided into three
categories (5) lecturing (6) giving directions, and (7) criticizing or justifying authority. Student
talk consists of only twl categories; (8) responding to teacher, and (a) initiating talk, and last
category which is silence or confusion, used to handle anything else that is not teacher or student
talk.

2.1.2 Indirect Teacher Behaviour

Category 1 s Acceptance of Feelings

"The teacher accepts feelings when he says: he understands how the children feel, that they have
the right to have these feelings, and that he will not punish the children for their feelings. These
kinds of statements often communicate to children both acceptance and clarification of the
feeling. Also included in this category are statements that recall past feeling, refer to enjoyable or
uncomfortable feelings that are present, or predict happy or sad events that will occur in the
future.

Category 2 s Praise or Encouragement

Included in this category are jokes that release tension, hit not those that threaten students or are
made at the expense of individual students. Often praise is a single word: "good", "fine", or
"right11. Sometimes the teacher simply says, "I like what you are doing". Encouragement is
slightly different and includes statements such as "Continue". "Go ahead with what you are
saying", "Uh, huh; go on; tell us more about your idea".

Category 3 J Accepting Ideas

This category is quite similar to category 1; however, it includes only acceptance of student i
deas and not acceptance of expressed emotion. When a student makes a 2k suggestion* the
teacher may paraphrase the student's statement, restate the idea more simply* or summarize what
the student has said. The teacher may also say, "Well, that1s an interesting point of view. I see
what you mean." It is rather difficult to understand category 3, but the teacher has to shift the
idea of the pupil.

Category 4: Asking Questions

This category includes only questions to which the teacher expects an answer from the pupils.
Questions that are meant to be a sward are of several kinds. There is a right or wrong answer of
the question. Questions can be very broad and give the student a great deal of freedom in
answering,

2.1.3 Direct Teacher Behavior

Category 5: Lecturing

is the form of verbal interaction that is used to give information, facts, opinions, or ideas to
children. The presentation of material may be used to introduce, review, or focus the attention of
the class on an important topic. Whenever the teacher is explaining, discussing, opining or giving
facts or information, category 5 is used.

Category 6 s Giving Directions

The decision about whether or not to classify the statement as a direction or command must be
based on the degree of freedom that the student has in response to teacher “direction.

Category 7: Criticizing or Justifying

Authority A statement of criticize- is one that is designed to change student behavior from
nonacceptable to acceptable. If the teacher is explaining himself or his authority, defending
himself against the student or justifying himself, the statement falls in this category.

2.1.4 Student Behavior

Category 8 t Student Talk; Response This category is used when the teacher has initiated the
contact or has solicited student-statements, when the student answers a question asked by the
teacher, or when he responds verbally to a direction the teacher has given.

Category 9: Student Talk t Initiation In general, if the student raises his hand to make a statement
or to ask a question when he has not been prompted to do so by the teacher, the appropriate
category is 9.

2.1.5 Other Behavior

Category 10: Silence or Confusion

This category includes anything else not included in the other categories. Periods of confusion in
communication when it is difficult to determine who is talking, are classified in this category.
2.2 Procedure for Categorizing Teacher -Pupil 1 Interaction

The Flanders system of interaction analysis was originally used as a research tool and continues
to serve this function. To record classroom behavior, the observer sits comfortably at a vantage
point in the classroom from where he can see conveniently and hear the students and the teacher.
He listens to the communication, decides category that best represents the particular
communication event and writes down the relevant category number simultaneously assessing
the continuing communications. Every three seconds the observer writes down the category
number of the interaction he has just observed. It is important to keep the tempo as steady as
possible, but it is even more crucial to be accurate. He may use a tape recording for his
observations.