A.

Instructional barriers of classroom communication

There are a number of factors in the classroom that can act as barriers to effective
communication. These include;

1. Verbalism:
Excessive verbalism can no longer be condoned, particularly in today’s world of
communication which offers much more effective substitutes from other avenues of
expression. Such verbalism is a definitely limiting barrier of effective classroom
communication. 
2. Anxiety: One of the major emotional causes of communication barriers is a student’s
anxiety. If a student is anxious and unsure, they’re less likely to speak up in class. This is
true even in situations where a student doesn’t understand what the teacher is saying and
needs clarification. Anxiety stops students from participating in group discussions
because they don’t want to be made the center of attention, and they’re afraid of other
people’s opinions of them. 
3. Language:
Language is the primary way of communication thoughts and ideas. If the teacher and the
students don’t speak the same language, these can be a major communication barrier. If
the teacher speaks English, and the students are mostly English as Second Language
students, then there will be communication problems, since the students may not
understand everything the teacher says. 
4. Expression:
Communication is never exact. The initiator tries to put his ideas into words, and then the
recipient has to decode those words to understand the idea. When the teacher or student
doesn’t have the ability to choose the proper words to describe the ideas they want to
convey, this will create a communication barrier in class room. An example of this could
be a teacher who is a professional mathematician, but an ineffective math teacher because
the only way she can convey ideas is to use math jargon that the students cannot
understand. 
5. Reference Confusion:
Different explanation and different application of the same word convey different
meaning to every one of the students for each of their background varies and thus
influence interpretation and understanding that reference
confusion occurs. For this reasons proper communication between the teachers and
students are not possible. Reference confusion is common in reading. The ability of two
people to use the same words and arrive at completely different understandings is one of
the grate dangers in our classrooms. Different areas
of knowledge, experience, background etc. are responsible for reference confusion. 
6. Day dreaming: A common (though avoidable) barrier to effective communication occurs
when the learner day dreams, that is when he turn away from the flow of classroom
communication and dwells upon his own privately recalled understanding and
experiences, which are more preoccupying than those which are identified with
classroom activity. Students are failed to keep their full attention in the class room, if
they think the movie that was seen by them in previous night. As a result they cannot give
their proper attention to the lecture of the important teachers that creates a great problem
 in class room communication. This barrier can be lessened or surmounted by. Increasing
the understandability of class room communication through the use of effective audio
visual class room techniques. 
7. Imperceptions:
Students are not be able to understand the teacher’s important class lecture if they have
any physical problem. Psychological function can do nothing in this case. So students
may gather knowledge very superficially in class room thus communication fails. 
8. Disinterest:
Disinterest arises among the students due to the lack of available teaching materials,
teaching system and efficient teacher in the classroom. To eradicate distance teacher
should include some motion pictures, films, modems, specimens, film strips, charts,
diagrams, tapes, records, television and many other audio visual materials. Variety in
class room procedures and teaching materials usually heightens the interest and
enthusiasm with which pupils approach their work. 
9. Physical discomfort: Student may fell discomfort due to the insufficient necessary
internal or external equipment in the class room like fan, light, air, etc. for these reason,
they may lose their interest to hear the lecture of their teachers. This type of barrier
should also be considered in a classroom for proper communication between students and
teachers.

The modern class room must be thought of as providing an efficient environment for learning.
This environment should be characterized by light control, which permits the use of projected
materials, by temperature control which encourages mental activity, all these will be controlled
by the teacher of the class room.
Others barriers of classroom communication or highly influencing factors in
communication:

 Location or distance barriers: This barrier is particularly important when speaking to a

group or audience. If the audience perceives you as distance from them, looking down on
them, or simply not reachable, then they will not be as receptive to the message you are
trying to share. For example, if you are standing on a stage and never venture out into the
audience, the distance itself can send a message contrary to the one you intend.

 Lack of common experience: If you are using technical term or other language your
audience does not understand, you will miss the mark. Even an audience that should be
sympathetic to you could end up providing negative feedback because you chose to speak
only to your own level of knowledge or experience rather than considering theirs.

 Language barriers: Buzzwords, jargon and slang are very specialized. Using them will
always prevent some portion of the potential audience from understanding your message.
That includes people who might benefits from your message, if it were presented in a
way they understood.

 Gender barrier: It has been demonstrated in studies that women communicate more on
a regular basis than men do. Though both sexes have both sexes have booth kinds of
communicators, women are more likely to be right-brain communicators — abstract and
 intuitive. Men are more likely to be left-brain communicators – linear and logical.
Depending on your own makeup, this could be a barrier. Both men and women have to
learn how to communicate in a way that allows both sexes to receive and understand the
message.

 Lack of credibility: If it’s evident that you’re speaking strictly from book knowledge,
rather than personal experience, or if your audience does not see how what you are saying
could possibly be true, this creates a credibility problem. The audience will suspect that
you don’t know what you’re talking about. As a sender, you need to make sure that the
stories you tell don’t lead the audience to question your credibility and authenticity.

 Age factors: The understanding capacity of different ages pupils are different. The senior
student understands anything rapidly and sufficiently than junior one. Thus the age factor
from person to person, place
to place and communication are varies.

8d iv). Discuss barriers to effective classroom communication

In the communication process, a disturbance can arise at every step of the process which can lead to
misunderstanding or no understanding at all. This becomes a barrier to the entire process. Among the
things that hamper effective communication are:

Physical barriers: These refer to the effect of the environment on the message and receiver of the
message. In the classroom, the message might be affected by poor acoustics, a noisy environment like if
a class is near a bar which plays loud music, a bus stop, mechanical/factory or workshop, a kitchen, a
road, etc. The above environments will either distort the message or distract the attention of the
receivers.

Psychological barriers: They refer to the state of the mind of the learner at the time the message is
transmitted. The state will depend on the listener’s attitude towards the subject being taught, the
content being delivered and the speaker.

Physiological state: This refers to the physical state of the receptor of the message. If the listener is
uncomfortable e.g. sick, tired, hungry, frustrated he or she will not give the attention required to
interpret a message clearly.

Language barrier: Language is a powerful tool in communication and a learner’s tool of learning.
Although the teacher’s language is characterized by sophistication and abstraction following his/her
accumulative experiences he or she needs to use a language and vocabulary within the learner’s level
and experiences, otherwise there will be a communication breakdown. Some of the words, phrases,
terms the teacher might use could be having different meanings to him/her or the learners depending
on their experiences, background patterns or thought etc.
 Contradicting verbal and non-verbal messages: The relationship between the messages conveyed, the
gestures or bodily movements must be in harmony (harmonious),if the message has to be interpreted
properly. Since many of the gestures and movements are culturally determined, the teacher should use
only those which are relevant to the cultures of the learner. Otherwise, there will be a communication
breakdown.

Inadequate communication skills, either by the teacher or the learner: The student, for instance,
might have a problem in speaking, writing, listening or in the use of other several modes of
communication. This will hinder the understanding of the message.

The presence of preferred stimuli: This happens when the learning environment is interrupted by
something either within the classroom or outside which attracts or captures the learner’s attention. The
learner finds the outside stimuli more interesting than the message being delivered. Thus, there will be
competition for attention between the message of the teacher and the stimuli.

Disabilities in the receivers of the message: If the listener has a disability such as a partial deafness,
blindness, the reception of the message will be poor especially if the listener is stationed far from the
source of the message.