Level of effectiveness of communication skills used by the teachers and students at college level in the Punjab

Abstract

Communication skills are regarded as the heart of teaching and learning process. Communication skills are usually defined as interaction that builds connection between students and teachers to help them understand each other and promote common interests. The process of communication is envisaged as transferring of idea or skill to another person accurately and satisfactorily. Communication as the art of successfully is conveying one’s meaning to others by means of an interchange of experience. Effective communication is a powerful agent of positive change that it can bring about conversion. However, when it is hindered by any reason, students become restless, suspicious and even reactionary leading to misunderstanding or tension between the parties. The ability to communicate well has always provided advantages to those who possess it. If we can communicate effectively in speaking and writing, we have a highly valued skill. Communicating effectively in speaking and writing extends across all areas of management, technical, clerical and social positions and now present century, the phenomenal growth of internal education creates the need for you to also understand intercultural communication. The ability to speak and write in ways that are sensitive and to cognizant of the factors in different cultural contexts. Communication as a process of transmitting and receiving verbal and non verbal messages is considered when it achieves the desired reactions or response from the receiver. Communication is a two-way process of exchanging ideas or information. To compose effective written or oral messages, we must apply certain communication principles. xiii The main objectives of the study were: (1) to assess the appropriateness of different method of communication skills used by the students and the teachers to transmit knowledge and its comprehension by the students, (2) to look into the opinion and attitude of both the teachers and the taught towards the factors facilitating communication skills at the college level, (3) to work out some statistically significant inference with regard to the teachers and the students. (4) to suggest measures to improve the effectiveness of communication skills at college level. Research was descriptive in nature. Population of study comprised of the heads, teachers, and students of the degree colleges in the Punjab Province. Cluster sampling technique was applied to target a representative sample. Two degree colleges, one boys and one girls were selected from each District, from each cluster college 01 principal, 10 teachers and 20 students were randomly selected, comprising a total sample of 60 principals, 600 teachers and 1200 students. Questionnaire was used as a tool of research, three questionnaires on the three points rating scale were developed to collect data from principals, teachers and students. Pilot testing was done on 10 colleges. Data was tabulated, analyzed by applying mean, standard deviation and ttest. Major conclusion showed quite similar views of students and principals regarding effectiveness of teaching skill and knowledge of the instructors. Pupils and teachers both intended that teachers had good command on their subjects but they were not adept in using multimedia or other educational technology. There was a significant difference between students and teacher’s opinions as far as active listening skills were concerned. The Instructors did not hear their students patiently. Teachers xiv repeated concepts unnecessarily. They did not use feedback skills effectively. They gained positive feedback through the participation of pupils. Teachers did not encourage the taught for their good performance. Teachers perceived that students were using active listening skills; knowledge skill were at below average level while feedback skills were found at above average level. Study recommends that the teachers should be kind and willing to remove distance from teacher and taught through creating friendly atmosphere in the class. Training about how to use instructional technology and new methods of teaching should be arranged for teachers at degree colleges in Punjab.