Analysis and Improvement of Oral Directions in a Fourth Grade Classroom

Research in listening is still in an exploratory phase. Evidence points out the importance of listening in our lives and while indicating that we are rather inefficient in our listening habits, suggests that it may be possible to train for better listening. Several studies have been undertaken to discover various factors which will make up the skill of listening. There is a need to single out some of these factors and study them independently. One aspect of listening is that of following oral directions. The investigator has recognized the importance of listening as it involves the intake of ideas and the formulation of these ideas in a skill for action. Teachers in many other subject areas have agreed to this problem. The writer realizes that a large percentage of children do not listen with comprehension or discrimination, nor are they able to appreciate or evaluate what they hear. Therefore, this investigation is being made to improve methods of following directions. The subjects for this study consisted of twenty-one fourth grade children at Richard Lagow Elementary School. These pupils are from middle to lower class homes, predominantly white, with only a few mexican americans and blacks. Eight teachers of all subject areas were selected at random to answer a questionnaire about listening difficulties of pupils. The ages were nine and ten years; there were twelve girls and nine boys. This study covered a six-week period. The pupils of this class were of similar background in a rural community