Vostal, B. R., McNaughton, D., Benedek-Wood, E., & Hoffman, K. (2015). Preparing teachers for collaborative communication: Evaluation of instruction in an active listening strategy. National Teacher Education Journal, 8(2), 5 – 14.
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Abstract
The successful inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms requires a new emphasis on collaboration between teachers. To establish a positive collaborative environment, education professionals must demonstrate effective communication skills, including active listening. The current study describes an evaluation of instruction in an active listening strategy on the communication skills of pre-service special educators. The results showed that participants learned to make use of the targeted active listening communication skills and that the use of active listening skills was valued both by the pre-service teachers and by practicing general education teachers who observed pre- and post-instruction videos of the study participants. Results suggested implications for active listening skills based on learning strategy instruction and the communication in discipline framework.
