NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION AND TEACHERS’ SOCIAL SKILLS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS IN THE EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Article 27 of the National Collective Labour Agreement for Schools defines the competencies that make up the teacher’s professional profile, without, however, explicitly mentioning communicative skills, which nevertheless form the foundation of all teaching activity. The European Recommendations and the DigCompEdu Framework reaffirm the importance of communicative competences, urging schools to integrate them into educational processes. This study explores the role of nonverbal communication as a strategic factor in shaping classroom climate and educational relationships. Drawing on international contributions, an exploratory investigation was conducted on seven primary school teachers, observed through structured grids. The results show that only one out of seven teachers effectively uses nonverbal communication, while most display weaknesses, particularly in voice modulation and facial expressiveness, which have a direct impact on student engagement. The study therefore suggests introducing specific training modules aimed at developing teachers’ communicative awareness and improving the quality of learning environments.