Examination of the Body Language Competencies of Physical Education Teachers

Abstract

In this research, the objective was to examine the body language competency levels of physical education teachers (PETs) and their body language competencies according to gender, participation in an effective communication skills course, service year, and doing sports. Furthermore, it also included opinions of PETs about their actions in solving the disciplinary problems arising from students according to their participation status in an effective communication skills course. A quantitative design was used in the research. Three hundred forty-seven PETs from various cities around Turkey participated in this study voluntarily. The Body Language Scale was used in the research. The scale was delivered to the teachers via Google Forms. The research found PETs’ body language competencies to be at an intermediate level. Moreover, there was no difference in the body language competencies of the PETs in terms of gender. The PETs whose service year was between 6 and 10 cared about their clothing more, and the teachers who attended an effective communication skills course and who regularly exercised paid more attention to their gestures and mimic, postures, and clothing. In addition to these results, it was observed that the teachers who attended an effective communication skills course did not display conducts such as shouting or physical contact while dealing with disciplinary problems. On the basis of the results, it can be inferred that teachers who attend an effective communication skills course will have higher levels of body language competencies. Therefore, it is thought that it is important for PETs to attend trainings that include effective communication skills.