Date of Graduation

2007

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Teacher confirmation research has suggested that students form positive perceptions of confirming instructors and report increases in learning (Ellis, 2000, 2004). However, actual student communication behaviors resulting from teacher confirmation in the college classroom has received little attention. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the effects of teacher confirmation on both student communication behavior and learning outcomes in the college classroom. A live lecture experiment was conducted where teacher confirmation was manipulated (i.e., not confirming, somewhat confirming, confirming) across three college courses. After the live lecture, students completed a post test assessing both positive (i.e., student communication motives, student participation) and negative (i.e., challenge behaviors) communication behaviors they might engage in while taking a course with this instructor. Additionally, students reported on traditional learning outcomes (i.e., cognitive learning, affective learning, state motivation, student satisfaction) resulting from the lecture manipulation. Collectively, results indicated that teacher confirmation (versus the absence of confirmation) lead to (a) more student communication for the relational, functional, and participatory motives and less communication for the excuse-making motive, (b) more student participation, (c) less challenge behavior, and (d) greater cognitive learning, affective learning, state motivation, and student satisfaction. Teacher confirmation appears to be a salient behavior for effective instruction.

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