The Communication Skills of Future Teachers during their Initial Training

Abstract

Communication skills are considered vital in order to work as a professional teacher. This study evaluates the communication skills of students in teaching programs at two public universities of Spain. We developed a questionnaire based on consolidated theoretical knowledge in the field of educational communication: a) skills as a transmitter, b) skills as a receiver, c) skills as a classroom teacher, d) skills as a participant in meetings, and e) skills as a tutor; and gave it to 670 students who were in their first (start of their degree), second (middle of their degree) and third years (about to graduate) of a teaching degree in the academic year 2013/2014, so that the data reflected the participants' levels of experience. Through the use of cross-cutting research methods we obtained the data and performed quantitative analyses of a descriptive nature. The results revealed a certain inadequacy in the acquisition and development of teaching-related communication skills, which was more pronounced in supposedly "classical" areas of communication: transmission and reception than in others: classroom communication, meeting participation and tutorial conversation, despite the fact that more progress is made in the former areas over time. We discuss these data and offer guidelines for specific training.