DECODING TEACHER MOVEMENT: INVESTIGATING NON-VERBAL ENTHUSIASM AS COGNITIVE SCAFFOLDING IN EFL CLASSROOMS
Abstract
While general teacher enthusiasm is known to increase student motivation and participation, research often treats it as a single, broad behavior. This action research study isolates specific non-verbal enthusiasm cues—vocal variation, purposeful physical movement, and facial expressiveness—to determine which specific non-verbal signals most effectively support English as a Foreign Language (EFL) production. Over a four-week period, 28 pre-intermediate secondary students participated in Task-Based Learning (TBL) activities where specific non-verbal behaviors were systemically varied. Using timed observation logs and frequency counts of student verbal responses, findings reveal that vocal modulation (pitch and pauses) had the highest immediate impact on initiating speech, while physical proximity (circulating and leaning in) sustained longer interaction during group tasks. The study concludes that non-verbal enthusiasm should be viewed as targeted multimodal scaffolding rather than general performance.References
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