This article aims at underscoring the messages eye contact and eye avoidance send in a multicultural classroom while taking into consideration factors like culture, context, personal styles, and the co-occurrence of other nonverbal cues. The research has used the qualitative method to analyse data that have been collected from 483 participants hailing from Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America. The instruments that have been used are interviews, questionnaires, and participant observation. It has been found that eye contact and eye avoidance cross-culturally send messages like confrontation, disrespect, discipline, authority, interest, defiance, affection, attention, confidence, credibility, honesty, engagement, seriousness, concentration, love, friendship, domination, aggression, warmth, lack of confidence, disinterest, unfriendliness, suspicion, respect, restraint, humility, inattention, dishonesty, shyness, submission, hatred, and shame. Thus, the paper draws teachers’ attention to the fact that the two nonverbal cues must be construed in interaction with factors like culture, context, personal styles, and the co-occurrence of other nonverbal cues.
Mamadou Fall SARR (Tue,) studied this question.