How to Improve Communication: Key Influencing Factors

Every day, school leaders send dozens of messages – through emails, meetings, hallway conversations, and announcements. But how many of those messages actually land the way they’re intended? The truth is, communication effectiveness depends on much more than just words. It’s shaped by who is speaking, how the message is framed, who is listening, and even the physical space where the exchange happens. Understanding these factors is the key to becoming a stronger, more impactful communicator.

Why communication effectiveness matters in schools 🔗

Communication is the backbone of any well-functioning school. Whether it’s a head teacher rolling out a new policy, a teacher explaining expectations to parents, or a staff meeting about curriculum changes, the quality of communication directly shapes outcomes. Research published in the journal Education Sciences found that an effective communication system within an educational institution can serve as a driving force for overall organisational effectiveness. Poor communication, on the other hand, breeds dissatisfaction, resistance to change, and a breakdown of trust among staff, students, and families.

A study featured on ERIC reinforces this point: effective communication creates the positive school culture needed to implement change, and without it, stakeholders’ voices tend to disappear. So what determines whether your communication hits the mark or falls flat? Let’s break it down into four key factors.

Source credibility: why who speaks matters as much as what is said 🔗

The person delivering a message plays a huge role in how that message is received. This is what communication researchers call source credibility – the degree to which the audience perceives the speaker as knowledgeable, trustworthy, and reliable.

The concept has deep roots in communication theory. Pioneering research by psychologist Carl Hovland and his colleagues at Yale University during the 1940s and 1950s established that a communicator’s perceived credibility significantly affects how persuasive their message is. According to this body of work, credibility is primarily built on two pillars: expertise (does the person know what they’re talking about?) and trustworthiness (is the person likely to be honest?).

How credibility works in a school setting 🔗

For a head teacher, credibility isn’t just about having a title. It’s built over time through consistent actions, informed decision-making, and honest dealings with staff and parents. When a head teacher announces a new assessment policy, for example, staff are far more likely to accept and implement it if they trust the leader’s competence and intentions. If, on the other hand, the head teacher has a reputation for making poorly researched decisions or being inconsistent, the same policy announcement may be met with scepticism or resistance.

A meta-analysis published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science found that source expertise tends to have the greatest effect on persuasion, accounting for a significant share of explained variance across studies. In a school context, this means leaders who invest in continuous professional development and demonstrate up-to-date knowledge will naturally carry more communicative weight.

Practical ways to build credibility 🔗

Building credibility isn’t a one-time effort. Here are a few things that help:

Be consistent. Trust is earned through daily interactions, not grand gestures. When your words and actions align over time, people start to believe what you say. Show your expertise. Back up your communication with evidence, data, and well-reasoned arguments. Be transparent. Admit when you don’t have all the answers. Pretending to know everything actually undermines credibility. Follow through. Nothing erodes trust faster than making promises and not keeping them.

Message clarity: the power of a well-structured message 🔗

Even the most credible speaker will fail if their message is unclear. Message clarity refers to how well a message is organised, how concise it is, and how easily the audience can understand it.

According to a teaching guide published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at any stage of the communication process things can go wrong – the sender may not express their ideas clearly, or they may use words the audience doesn’t understand. Effective communicators minimise these barriers by speaking slowly, choosing simple language, and structuring their message logically.

What makes a message clear? 🔗

A clear message has three essential qualities:

Simplicity. Avoid jargon and technical terms unless your audience is familiar with them. If you’re explaining a new timetable policy to parents, using acronyms or internal education terminology will only confuse them. Structure. Organise your message with a logical flow – start with the main point, provide supporting details, and end with a clear action or takeaway. Brevity. Overloading people with too much information at once leads to disengagement. A short, focused message will almost always outperform a long, rambling one.

Clarity in written communication 🔗

Schools rely heavily on written communication – emails, circulars, handouts, and notices. The same principles apply here. The NIH guide emphasises that handouts and written materials must be carefully crafted to communicate effectively, using clear headings, short paragraphs, and straightforward language. Whether your message is on paper, in an email, or on a school website, poor writing will undermine your communication every time.

One useful technique is the “one message, one communication” rule. Instead of cramming multiple updates into a single email, focus each communication on one core topic. This helps receivers process and act on the information more effectively.

Using visual aids to enhance clarity 🔗

Visual supports like charts, diagrams, infographics, and slides can make abstract ideas more concrete. As the old teaching adage goes, people tend to remember what they see far more than what they only hear. In staff meetings or parent sessions, a well-designed visual aid can reinforce your message and improve retention significantly.

Receiver characteristics: understanding your audience 🔗

Communication is a two-way process. No matter how credible the speaker or how clear the message, its effectiveness ultimately depends on how the receiver processes it. Several receiver characteristics shape this process.

Emotional state 🔗

A parent who arrives at a meeting anxious about their child’s behaviour is not in the same mental space as one who’s there for a routine check-in. The University of Waterloo’s Centre for Teaching Excellence notes that strong emotional responses can be a significant barrier to listening. When people are stressed, angry, or fearful, their ability to absorb and interpret messages accurately drops considerably.

For school leaders, this means reading the room before diving into a message. If a staff member is visibly upset about a recent change, jumping straight into a directive conversation is unlikely to go well. Acknowledging emotions first – and choosing the right moment – can make a real difference.

Attitudes and preconceptions 🔗

People filter messages through their existing beliefs and attitudes. A meta-analysis on source credibility and persuasion found that individuals with strong prior attitudes tend to be less influenced by new messages, even from credible sources. In a school, this means that a teacher who is deeply opposed to a new initiative may not be receptive to logical arguments in its favour, regardless of how well those arguments are presented.

Understanding this doesn’t mean you avoid the conversation. It means you adjust your approach – perhaps by connecting the new initiative to values the teacher already holds, or by involving them in the decision-making process so they feel ownership rather than resistance.

Language skills and knowledge level 🔗

Not everyone in your audience will have the same level of language proficiency or subject knowledge. A head teacher addressing a diverse parent body – some with advanced degrees, others with limited formal education – needs to find a language register that’s accessible to all without being condescending. Similarly, when communicating complex policy changes to junior staff or newly qualified teachers, it helps to provide context and define key terms rather than assuming shared understanding.

Cultural background 🔗

Cultural differences influence how people interpret both verbal and non-verbal messages. What’s considered polite, direct, or appropriate varies across cultures. In multicultural school communities, being mindful of these differences isn’t just courteous – it’s essential for effective communication. Paying attention to how different community groups prefer to receive information (formal letters vs. informal conversations, for example) can improve engagement enormously.

Environmental factors: the role of the physical setting 🔗

The environment where communication takes place is often overlooked, but it has a powerful impact on how well messages are sent and received. Environmental barriers include anything in the physical surroundings that disrupts or distorts the communication process.

Noise and auditory distractions 🔗

This is the most obvious environmental barrier. Background noise – from construction outside, chatter in a hallway, or a ringing phone – can make it difficult or impossible for the audience to hear and focus on the message. As the Lumen Learning resource on management explains, loud or distracting sounds can make it impossible to concentrate, and even general background noise can prevent people from focusing on a single voice.

For school leaders, this means being intentional about where important conversations happen. A performance review conducted in a noisy staff room is not going to be effective. Important announcements deserve a quiet, controlled setting where the audience can give full attention.

Physical space and seating arrangements 🔗

The layout of a room affects communication dynamics. A head teacher who stands behind a large desk while addressing a concerned parent creates a physical barrier that can feel intimidating. On the other hand, sitting at the same level around a table creates a more open, collaborative atmosphere. Classrooms without microphones can leave students at the back feeling disconnected, and overcrowded meeting rooms can increase stress and reduce concentration.

Temperature, lighting, and comfort 🔗

These might seem like minor details, but they matter. A room that’s too hot or too cold makes it hard for people to focus. Poor lighting can cause eye strain and reduce engagement with visual materials. The University of Waterloo’s teaching resource notes that environmental conditions such as extreme room temperatures can function as a form of “figurative noise,” distracting people from the communication itself.

Digital and technological barriers 🔗

With the growing use of digital communication in schools – from emails to video meetings – technology failures have become a new category of environmental barrier. A laggy video call, a broken microphone in an assembly hall, or an email that ends up in a spam folder can all disrupt the flow of communication. Regularly testing and maintaining digital tools is just as important as ensuring a physical meeting space is suitable.

How to minimise environmental barriers 🔗

A few practical steps go a long way: choose quiet, well-lit, and comfortable spaces for important conversations; test any technology or audio-visual equipment before meetings; minimise phone and notification interruptions; and, when possible, communicate face-to-face for sensitive or complex topics, since in-person communication allows both verbal and non-verbal cues to work together.

How these four factors work together 🔗

These four factors – source credibility, message clarity, receiver characteristics, and environmental conditions – don’t operate in isolation. They interact constantly. A credible speaker delivering a clear message can still fail if the audience is emotionally distressed or the room is noisy. Likewise, a perfectly quiet room won’t help if the message is confusing or the speaker lacks credibility.

Effective communicators think about all four dimensions before, during, and after any important exchange. They ask themselves: Am I the right person to deliver this message? Is my message clear and concise? What do I know about my audience? Is the environment conducive to good communication?

The research published in Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences found that a teacher’s communication style can significantly influence the interest and attitude of students, reinforcing that communication is not a static skill but a dynamic process that must be constantly adapted to the context.

Strategies for strengthening communication effectiveness 🔗

Seek regular feedback 🔗

Two-way communication is essential. Don’t just deliver messages – create channels for people to respond, ask questions, and share their perspectives. This is especially important in school leadership, where staff and parents often have valuable insights that can improve decision-making.

Practise active listening 🔗

Good communication starts with listening. Active listening means giving your full attention, asking clarifying questions, and paraphrasing what you’ve heard to confirm understanding. The ERIC study on school communication emphasises that behaviours like interrupting, offering unwarranted advice, or failing to leave time for responses all undermine effective communication.

Adapt to your audience 🔗

One size does not fit all. A message that works for a senior leadership team might not work for parents or students. Tailor your language, tone, and delivery method to the specific audience you’re addressing.

Be mindful of non-verbal cues 🔗

Body language, facial expressions, eye contact, and tone of voice all communicate as powerfully as words. Paying attention to both your own non-verbal signals and those of your audience can help you gauge understanding and adjust your approach in real time.

What do you think? Which of these four factors do you find most challenging in your own communication as an educator or school leader? And how might addressing even one of these factors transform the way your messages are received by students, staff, or parents?

References

1. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/3/170
2. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1303981.pdf
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3101500/
4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02894421
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1705977/
6. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/effective-communication-barriers-and-strategies
7. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-principlesofmanagement/chapter/barriers-to-effective-communication/
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815023241