Teachers' communication styles, students professional growth and the discourse of interaction

Abstract

Traditionally, the teacher’s role is to be the voice of knowledge while students listen and ask questions. The teacher’s role is changing: in the future, the teacher needs to be able to tutor students’ capabilities, network with the world of work, and facilitate joint knowledge creation with the world of work. In this article we approach teachership from the point of view of the teacher’s communication styles and her capabilities in interaction. Our qualitative analysis suggests that the teacher’s communication style has an important effect on student socialization and professional growth. The connection, however, is complex. Students in the early phases of their studies tend to appreciate and expect the expert teacher and a conventional, unilateral information exchange. However, once students progress on their path of professional growth, the situation changes. The expectations shift towards interaction, guidance and co-learning. From the teacher’s point of view, there emerges a need to grow with the student and change the communication style accordingly.