Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Communication Studies
Committee Chair
Scott Myers
Committee Co-Chair
Christine Kunkle
Committee Member
Amy Kennedy
Committee Member
Megan Vendemia
Abstract
This dissertation examined how undergraduate students and instructors evaluate lowinference teacher confirmation behaviors across instructional modalities and identified additional behaviors perceived as confirming in contemporary instructional contexts. Participants included 274 undergraduate students and 104 higher-education instructors who completed a survey measuring four clusters of confirming behaviors (willingness to engage, recognition, acknowledgment, and endorsement) using a 7-point Likert-type scale. Open-ended questions invited participants to describe confirming behaviors not represented in existing measures. Results indicated that both students and instructors rated most behaviors above the midpoint of the scale, with instructional responsiveness and course organization receiving the highest ratings. Instructors rated all behaviors as significantly more confirming than did students. Qualitative responses identified additional behaviors related to recognizing students as individuals, supporting students as active learners, creating relational access, and supporting academic success, extending existing understandings of teacher confirmation in contemporary instructional environments.
Recommended Citation
Wright, April Nicole, "Student and Teacher Perceptions of Confirming Behaviors Across Instructional Modalities" (2026). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 13348.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/13348