Because most instructional communication research has been conducted within the United States, the purpose of this study was to develop an enhanced understanding of the student--instructor relationship outside the United States using the instructional beliefs model and rhetorical and relational goals theory. Specifically, we examined the effects…

Students at the intersection of social, political, and economic struggles must often forge new paths to make college entrance possible, even as dominant social narratives predict their failure. Faculty and administration endeavor to engage this emerging majority population and devote valuable time and resources to support structures meant to…

Based on the vast challenges college students experience, and the current mental health crisis on college campuses, the current study investigated how student-support providers assist and encourage students to enact resilience. We analyzed data from interviews with 25 campus student-support leaders in regard to how they support resilience in…

In this study, we investigated how various teaching behaviors influence student interest as a situational variable. Specifically, we studied how behaviors related to "catch" interest (i.e., ephemeral aspects of the learning environment such as instructor humor, nonverbal immediacy, intellectual stimulation) and "hold" interest…

Following research indicating prevalent and deleterious use of social communication technology in college classrooms, this study investigated teacher credibility, learner empowerment, and online communication attitude as predictors of such use. The sample included 379 participants who completed an online survey about a college course. Results…

This article presents research to delineate the construct of instructor strategic ambiguity (ISA) and develop a measure. The first study analyzed instructor uses of ambiguity, identified 18 strategies, and classified them into four categories. The second study developed an Instructor Strategic Ambiguity Measure (ISAM) for the college classroom.…

In the present study, I explored student-teacher interaction, student-teacher relationship formation and development, and the ways in which student-teacher interaction and relationships facilitated support and persistence for first-generation (FG) students during the transition to college. Using transition theory as a sensitizing framework, I took…

This study examined students' perceived understanding as a mediator of the relationship between student perceptions of teacher clarity, nonverbal immediacy cues, and learner empowerment (i.e., meaningfulness, competence, and impact). Participants included 261 undergraduate students who completed survey instruments. Results of structural equation…

Empowered learners are more motivated to perform classroom tasks, and they feel more competent in the classroom, find the required tasks more meaningful, and feel they have an impact on their learning process. Previous work has concluded that empowerment is primarily influenced by teacher behavior, which is not consistent with contemporary…

This study tested two theoretical models of learner empowerment as a potential mediator of teacher power use and students' ratings of instruction. Participants included 1,416 undergraduate students from four different institutions in the United States. Results of structural equation modeling provided more support for the partial mediation model…

Reports the experience of one teaching team's attempt to implement a "philosophy of choice" into a large lecture course at a major university. Assesses students' willingness to embrace innovation in the classroom, how choice-based learning impacted student self-assessed learning, and what considerations students take into account when selecting…

Examines empowerment as a communicative process among teachers and students at a Midwestern Montessori school. Explores the praxis of empowerment in the organizational context of three Montessori classrooms. Observes the praxis of empowerment in three specific areas: the nature of the environment; the management of discipline; and the social…

Uses critical pedagogy to provide theoretical inspiration for generating ideas about teaching communication courses. Presents a framework for a public speaking course premised on a recognition of teachers and students as holistically situated, multidimensional subjects who bring different experiences to the classroom. Discusses social hierarchies…