The Communication Skills of the Staff at Ajloun University College: A Case Study

[a] Ajloun University College， AL-Balqa Applied University， Al-Salt， Jordan.

[b] Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research， Ammman， Jordan.

*Corresponding author.

Received 10 November 2012； accepted 15 January 2013

Abstract

This Study is aimed at identifying the availability of communication skills and listening skills， dialogue skills， time management skills， and computer skills of the Staff at Ajloun University College. In addition， it identifies significant differences at the level of communication skills of the staff of Ajloun University College due to certain variables including： gender， age， and educational qualification. The researchers used the survey methodology to obtain data.

The study concluded that the staffs at Ajloun University College have communication skills with moderate rates in all fields of communication skills adopted in the study. Besides， the staffs there have good listening skills. Further， the staffs with Ages less than 30 years old at Ajloun University College have good skills of computer use.

Key words： Communication skills； Ajloun University College； Faculty members

INTRODUCTION

Education in general and higher education in particular has a growing interest in many countries because it is considered as the top of educational pyramid and a major source for the preparation of scientific professional and qualifying frameworks. Higher education， in addition， can be developed to face the different needs of individuals and the renewable requirements of communities in the era of technology. Nowadays， institutions of higher education are regarded as the most important measure of progress of any society， being academic productive centers for technology transfer （Subaie， 2006， p 4）.

1. PROBLEM OF THE STUDY

This study detects the extent to which communication skills for the faculty members at Ajloun University College and determines the significant differences in these skills for the university professors at Ajloun University College.

2. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is of paramount importance because：

（1） It focuses on the communication skills of a faculty member， which are essential to the teaching process at universities to make it successful.

（2） It determines the patterns of university professors and their preparation sources. It is probable that they may not have appropriate communicative competencies to deliver their ideas and information to the students.

（3） It emphasizes that the vitality of communication in education in general and its role in bringing about positive change in the students’ behavior.

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study aims at：

（1） Identifying the availability of the communication skills of a faculty member at Ajloun University College.

（2） Identifying significant differences at the level of communication skills of faculty members， which would be attributed to the study variables （gender， age， and educational qualification）.

4. QUESTIONS OF THE STUDY

（1） What is the extent to which communication skills are there for the faculty members at Ajloun University College？

（2） Are there any significant differences at the level of communication skills of faculty members， which would be attributed to the study variables（gender， age， and educational qualification）？

5. HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

（1） The faculty members at Ajloun University College have communication skills. （General Hypothesis）？

（2） There are significant differences at the level of communication skills of faculty members， which would be attributed to the study variables （gender， age， and educational qualification）. （Sub-hypothesis）？

It is important to note that non-verbal communication is complement of verbal communication. For example， one may ask you about how to get to a certain place， you tell him by words or， if he does not understand you， you draw him a map or you can use hand signals to express directions. Further， verbal communication may accompany non-verbal communication， that is， we speak， write， and nod by our heads， eyes， etc. at the same time.

6. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND PREVIOUS STUDIES

Communication is considered as a social activity， necessary for everyone because it helps us understand ourselves and others. By which we can build social relationships with others. Cloy defines communication as a mechanism of which one can link and transfer symbols of the human mind over time and space and can assess human relations and develop them because of being a means of transmission. （Hajjab Wahbi， 1999， P. 4）

7. FORMS OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION

（1） Verbal communication （either verbal or written）.

（2） Non-verbal communication （sign language and body gestures）

Yet， non-verbal communication is very important since it is the oldest methods of communication known to man. Psychologists believe that more than 75% of human actions are involuntary， and 25% are voluntary. The involuntary behavior is often non-verbal communication， i. e.， by gestures， nods， or symbols， which are five times stronger than the words （Williams， 2008， p 13）.

Verbal communication can help us express our feelings and clarify our complex ideas in a way we can deliver them to others. It strengthens the social connections between members of the community and provides us with written evidence for our thoughts and culture. It contributes to the process of social， cultural and civilized communication among nations and peoples. Thus， it enhances the global understanding.

The non-verbal communication can bring or disclose ideas， feelings and real intensions of someone； therefore non-verbal behaviors sometimes refer to remarks because they tell us something about the real state of mind of the person （Navarro， 2010， p 14）. Research shows that non-verbal communication is the most important part of any message transmitted to the future. The nonverbal message transmitted is rich and complex in nature and contains facial expressions， body， hands， and feet movement， clothes， looks， anxieties， and emotions. ..Etc. It is worth noting that non-verbal communication reflects the emotional information that cannot be expressed verbally. It gives us information related to the content of the verbal message and provides us with the tools to interpret the words that we hear， such as： tone of voice. Besides， it is useful in understanding the nature of the relationship between the parties involved in the communication process. Further， the non-verbal messages are characterized by genuineness because they often cannot be controlled （Mahmoud， 2001， p.38）. Brdhobsl claims that the proportion of oral element in conversation and face-to-face meetings is less than 35%， and more than 65% of communication is non-verbal （Pease， 1997， p 8）.

8. PREVIOUS STUDIES

Arini （2011） aimed at identifying the availability of communication of non-verbal skills non-verbal through appearance， place， time， and movement in the faculty of Science at the University of Qassim from the viewpoint of the students. The study sample consisted of 420 students from the Faculty of Science from all majors including： general preparation， mathematics， chemistry， and physics. The study concluded that the degree of nonverbal communication skills availability with the faculty staff concerned is moderate from the point of view of students. In addition， they study found out that there are no statistically significant differences against the availability of non-verbal communication skills with the faculty staff concerned due to specialization and GPA. Besides， they study found out that there are no statistically significant differences against the availability of non-verbal communication skills with the faculty staff concerned due to the variable of academic year in favor of the fourth year.

Boudiaf （2008） detects the presence or communication skills and reveals the differences in these skills among university staff. The study sample consisted of 30 professors from psychology， sociology and educational science departments， who were randomly selected. The study used the descriptive analysis. It conclude that university professors have excellent skills and there no statistically significant differences between university professors due to specialty， years of experience， and sex.

Al-Nidhami （2002） identified the availability of the communication skills of faculty members in the Faculty of Education at the University of Yarmouk from the point of view of the students. The study found out that communication skills （speaking skill， reading skills， writing skills， listening skills） were available to the faculty members moderately. Listening skill ranked first， followed by writing， reading and speaking， respectively. The study found out that that there are statistically significant differences concerning the availability of the communication skills of faculty members due to the academic level in favor of fourth-year students. It， in addition， indicated that there significant differences concerning the availability of the communication skills of faculty members due to sex in favor of females. However， there are other Arabic studies handling this prominent topic such as Al-Hakami （2001） and Al-Khatheeleh （2000）.

Reineking （2007） aimed at testing the teachers’perception about the efficiency of non-verbal communication of teachers and identifying the extent to which non-verbal efficiency of director is related to effectiveness of his performance in general. Also， it was aimed at identifying the teachers’ perceptions about efficiency of changing directors and the relationship between teachers’ perception about directors in terms of efficiency of non-verbal communication and quality of performance and quality of changing directors. The study sample consisted of 227 teachers from the secondary stage teachers of Province Houston. The questionnaire was used as a tool. The study found out that teachers’perceptions for non-verbal efficiency of director affected the effectiveness of director general. Further， it found out the teachers’ perceptions about efficiency of changing directors affected their perceptions of the effectiveness of directors and their non-verbal efficient contact. However， there are other foreign studies handling this prominent topic such as Artman （2005） and Hamelin （2003）.

9. METHODOLOGY

The current study used the comprehensive social survey， which is a scientifically organized effort to obtain data and information on the phenomenon under investigation. In addition， it is considered as one of the main methods used in the field of social studies.

10. THE STUDY POPULATION

The study population consists of all faculty members at Ajloun University College （92 faculty members）. The study collects the necessary information from faculty members without the need to take a sample. In detail， the study was not based on the sample method， but on the comprehensive social community studied， due to the small size of the community and the need to investigate skills communication of the faculty members at Ajloun University College. So， the sample method can be authentic because of the total lack of harmony between the subjects investigated. It is worth mentioning that the use of the Comprehensive Social Survey method gives accurate results needed for the study purposes.

11. THE STUDY TOOL

The study relied on the questionnaire as a tool to obtain data and information from subjects. It was developed based on the parameters used in the literature available. The current study dealt with four areas of communication skills， estimated by the faculty member per se due to the five-graded scale. In reality， this questionnaire was evaluated by a number of professional referees. The questionnaire was modified due to their modifications.

11.1 Validity and Reliability of the Study Tool

The study tool was validated by getting a set of professional and specialized referees evaluate it either to check its suitability， comprehensibility and objectivity. The questionnaire was modified due to their modifications. Concerning the reliability， Chronbach’s Alpha coefficients are used for the items. It was apparent and validated the study tool enjoys a high degree of reliability， and all coefficients were higher than 0.60 which is the minimum to accept reliability.

11.2 The Study Variables

This study is regarded one of the analytical descriptive studies that aimed at identifying the communication skills of faculty staff at Ajloun University College as assessed by them. The study included the following variables：

（1） Independent variables： gender， age， and educational qualification.

（2） Dependent variables： the response of the sample subjects for the study tool according to its fields and items； the questionnaire included the four communication skills adopted in this study.

（3） The standard adopted in the study： the standard of sentencing on the communication skills of faculty staff at the Ajloun University College； the percentages， representing the cutting degree of the level of communication skill and their command or mastery， were identified due to Table 5.

11.3 The Statistical Treatment Used in the Study In order to answer the questions of the study， statistical analysis based on the （SPSS） and descriptive statistics measures were used to describe the characteristics of the study sample through frequencies and percentages. In addition， the appropriate statistical methods were used to answer the questions of the study as follows：

First： descriptive statistics： in order to view the properties of the sample subjects and describe their responses against the items of the questionnaire.

Second： the test of the validity and reliability of the study tool （Chronbach’s Alpha） to measure the internal consistency of the study tool.

Third： averages and standard deviations.

Fourth： T. test and F. test.

Fifth： Scheffee test for posteriori comparisons to examine the significance of the relationship between the variables that require it.

12. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

Results were discussed by examining the responses of subjects on the areas of the study and items in order to identify the communication skills of faculty members at Balqa Applied University / Ajloun University College.

（1） Results related to the first question which is“What is the extent to which communication skills are there for the faculty members at Ajloun University College？” To answer this question， the descriptive statistics， depicting in the averages， standard deviations and percentages for each area of study was used as follows：

A. The First Area： listening

Table 6 shows the averages， standard deviations and percentages for listening of the faculty members at the Ajloun University College. As shown in table 6， the highest degree was that of item 6 （I look to the person I listen to） with an average of 4.70. This is rationally acceptable because the basis of respect and appreciation is based on the shape and nature of human relations and because it is part of the ethics the university professor has to consider when listening to a person who speaks with. It represents a kind of giving value and interest to the speaker. It is unreasonable that the university professors do not care for the person who speaks with. The item of（Work out with listening skills regularly） ranked second with 4.65. This result is reasonable because the professor always tries to develop their abilities and skills to enhance their listening. In addition， the item of （Receive and accept the negative news without defending） ranked third with 4.61. Regarding the total area of the average， it is 4.07 with 81.84% which indicates that listening skill of university professors at Ajloun University College is high as assessed by them.

B. The Second Area： The Skill of Dialogue

Table 7 shows the averages， standard deviations and percentages for dialogue skill of the faculty members at the Ajloun University College. As shown in Table 7， the highest degree was that of item 8 （Have the ability to provide a good atmosphere for dialogue） with an average of 4.71. This is rationally acceptable because the university professor has knowledge needed to provide good atmosphere for dialogue. The item of （Have the ability to pose clear questions） ranked second with 4.56.

This result is reasonable because the professor who has such a skill can pose clear and definite questions which can effectively manage the whole dialogue. In addition， the item of （Follow the targeting dialogue techniques and discussion） ranked third with 4.51. Regarding the total area of the average， it is 4.27 with 85.49% which indicates that dialogue skill of university professors at Ajloun University College is high as assessed by them.

C. The Third Area： Time Management Skill

Table 8 shows the averages， standard deviations and percentages for time management skill of the faculty members at the Ajloun University College. As shown in table 8， the highest degree was that of item 2 （Believe that time is the key， so I do my duties on time） with an average of 4.42. This is rationally acceptable because the university professor who wants to achieve his duties effectively has to do his duties on time without delay. The item of （Stick to work hours and office hours） ranked second with average 4.19. This result is reasonable because of the wok ethics is to stick to work hours and office hours. The professor who has such a skill can pose clear and definite questions which can effectively manage the whole dialogue. In addition， the item of （Make a daily time table for my duties） ranked third with average 3.85. Regarding the total area of the average， it is 3.85 with 76.54% which indicates that time management skill of university professors at Ajloun University College is medium as assessed by them. This indicates that the professors there have to train for this prominent skill.

D. The Fourth Area： Computer Skill

Table 9 shows the averages， standard deviations and percentages for computer skill of the faculty members at the Ajloun University College. As shown in table 9， the highest degree was that of item 1 （Have the ability to use technology） with an average of 4.45. This is rationally acceptable because the successful university professor is keen on keeping up with the latest technology of his/ her academic work. The item of （Have the ability to use internet to get information） ranked second with average 4.33. This means that the faculty members there have the needed computer skill. Regarding the total area of the average， it is 3.78 with 75.33% which indicates that compute skill of university professors at Ajloun University College is medium as assessed by them. This indicates that the professors there have to train for this prominent skill.

Table 10 shows the averages， standard deviations and percentages for each skill of the faculty members at the Ajloun University College. As shown in table 10， the dialogue skill ranked first. This can be accounted for by the claim that the successful university professor has the ability to dialogue with others effectively. The listening skill ranked second， followed by time management skill and computer skill， respectively. This means that the university professors at Ajloun University College have to enhance their skills of computer， taking into consideration that this era is the era of technology. The weakness of computer skill is attributed to that some of professors are old and， thus， cannot use computer. In addition， the young professors do not have taken computer courses. Regarding the total area of the average， it is 3.99 with 79.8% which indicates that the percentage of having the communication skill of university professors at Ajloun University College is medium and needs modification.

The results related to the 2nd question “Are there any significant differences at the level of communication skills of faculty members， which would be attributed to the study variables （sex， age， and educational qualification）？”To answer this question， the descriptive statistics， depicting in the averages， standard deviations and percentages for each area of study， T-TEST， and F-TEST were used as follows：

A. The relationship between sex and communication skills

Table 11 indicates that the averages， standard deviations and results of T-test for the differences between averages of communication skills of the faculty members due to sex variable. It is clear that that the values of the significance level calculated was higher than （α ≤ 0.05）， which means there are no significant differences in the areas of study due to the variable of sex except the listening skill in which the results showed that there were statistically significant differences attributable to gender in favor of females. This result can be attributed to by the fact that the female university professor is keen to demonstrate her role and presence. She wants to refute the saying that women talk more than listen.

B. The Relationship Between the Age and Communication Skills

Table 12 indicates that the averages and standard deviations of communication skills of the faculty members due to age. It is clear that there are significant differences in the area of compute skill in favor of the age category（less than 30 years） with average 4.48. On the other hand， the age category （more than 40 years） has the lowest average with 3.72. This can be accounted for by the claim that the age category （less than 30 years） has been trained much to use technology. The lowest average of all skills together is the field of listening 3.21 with standard deviation of 0.57 for the age group more than 40 years. This can be accounted for by the claim that this category wants speaking more than listening.

To examine the significant differences between age and communication skills / computer， F test was used. Table 13 indicates the results of ANOVA analysis the differences in the communication skills of faculty members at the Ajloun university college according to age. The table shows that there are significant differences concerning the field of compute skill； F value calculated was 3.47 and less than （α ≤ 0.05）.

C. The relationship between educational qualification and communication skills

Table 14 indicates the averages， standard deviations and results of T-test for the differences between averages of communication skills of the faculty members due to educational qualification. It is noted that Table 14 shows that there are no statistically significant differences in communication skills due to educational qualification. In addition， the table shows the limitedness of differences between the values of computer averages.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the foregoing analysis of the data， the study has concluded the following：

（1） The faculty members at Ajloun University College have generally communication skills moderately in all areas of communication skills adopted in the study as showed by the results of the statistical analysis.

（2） The faculty members at Ajloun University College have high skills in listening.

（3） The faculty members with less than 30 years at Ajloun University College have high skill in the computer field.

THE RESULTS RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING

（1） Enhancing the skills with a high degree and modifying those with a medium one because of their importance for the success of the educational process.

（2） Conducting further studies on the subject of communication skills in various areas.

（3） Holding continuous courses for faculty members to get them have non-verbal communication skills so as to make a positive interaction when contacting with students.

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