Faculty Communication in the Undergraduate College Classroom: A Student Perspective A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Drexel University by Frances Lampson Winters in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education May 2014 © Copyright 2014 Frances A. L. Winters. All Rights Reserved Abstract Communication in the Undergraduate College Classroom: A Student Perspective Frances A. L. Winters, Ed. D. Drexel University May 2014 Chairperson: W. Ed Bureau, Ph.D. There has been much research recognizing the importance of communication between students and faculty in the classroom environment.A positive climate and sense of belonging influence students’ perceptions of a supportive community in the college classroom. In these supportive classrooms, students are able to express themselves freely and openly in nonjudgmental ways that allow strong bonds to exist. Interpersonal relationships between instructors and students create a unique culture that can impact learning in the classroom. Although it has been argued the primary job of instructors is to promote learning (Ellis, 2004), research shows a link between interpersonal relationships and learning (Worley, Titsworth & Cornett-Devito, 2007). This phenomenological study explored how student perceptions of instructor communication behaviors in undergraduate college classrooms influence the communication climate. Eight participants, all in their last semester of college, were asked a series of semi- structured questions to further understand their communication interactions with professors. The findings were classified into three themes. First was evidence of the importance of professor communication traits as demonstrated by both nonverbal and verbal means. The second theme was the presence of supportive behaviors shown by professors in and out of the classroom and i the final theme was the presence of defensive behaviors shown in and out of the classroom. Results flowing from these themes showed, 1) Instructors exhibiting a friendly mood, showing happiness, approachability, and flexibility are more likely to create a positive communication climate, 2) Found the lack of verbal and nonverbal instructor communication reflecting the lack of desire to interact with students leads to a more negative and defensive communication climate, 3) Superiority to be a common theme among students when expressing negative interactions in the undergraduate college classroom. Recommendations are made at both the individual and institutional level and center around the further development and understanding of the crucial role communication plays in the college classroom. ii Signature Page The EdD Dissertation Committee from the School of Education at Drexel University certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Faculty Communication in the Undergraduate College Classroom: A Student Perspective Frances Anne Winters, Ed.D. Committee: W. Edward Bureau, Ph.D. Holly Carpenter, Ph.D. Qingwen Dong, Ph.D. Date iii Dedication This dissertation, is dedicated to my grandparents Warren and Louise Lampson and Clark and Betty McConnell and my parents, Robin and Betty Lampson. Without all the hard work you exemplified in your life I would not have the desire or support to have finished college, let alone a doctorate degree. Thank you for always being my biggest fans throughout all I chose to accomplish. I love you. iv Acknowledgements Thank you to my husband Darren, and children Grace, and Lukas, who were so supportive during this entire process of attending class, and working on the computer. I couldn’t have completed this process without your love and understanding. To my sister Jen, you have always been my role model for how to succeed in school and life. Thank you for holding my hand during this process and always pushing me to do better. I love you. To Dr. Qingwen Dong, I cannot thank you enough for always believing in me and pushing me to pursue research, from my days as an undergraduate through the entire doctorate process. You will continue to be an important mentor in my professional career. To Dr. W. Ed Bureau, thank you for being so positive and having an infectious attitude making it possible for me to finish! To Dr. Holly Carpenter, thank you for serving on my committee and providing such insightful feedback. I am very appreciative of all your time and comments to help me become a better researcher and writer. v. Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi. 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH ..................................................................... 1 Introduction to the Problem ................................................................................................ 1 Statement of the Problem to be Researched ....................................................................... 4 Purpose and Significance of the Problem .......................................................................... 4 Research Questions .............................................................................................................5 The Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................5 Definition of Terms .............................................................................................................7 Assumptions and Limitations ............................................................................................. 8 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 8 2: THE LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................10 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 10 Literature Review ............................................................................................................... 10 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 30 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 31 Introduction ........................................................................................................................31 Research Design and Rationale ..........................................................................................32 Site and Population .............................................................................................................33 Research Method .............................................................................................................. 35 Ethical Considerations ....................................................................................................... 38 4: FINDINGS, RESULTS, AND INTERPRETATIONS ..................................................40 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 40 Findings .............................................................................................................................42 Results and Interpretations ...............................................................................................64 Summary ...........................................................................................................................69 5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................71 Introduction .......................................................................................................................71 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................72 Recommendations .............................................................................................................73 Summary ............................................................................................................................76 LIST OF REFERENCES .................................................................................................. 78 APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW SCRIPT ............................................................................ 86 APPENDIX B: LETTER OF CONSENT ……………………....................................... 88 List of Figures 1. Research Timeline ........................................................................................................ 38 2. Findings: Themes and Subthemes ................................................................................ 44 vi. FACULTY COMMUNICATION IN THE UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE CLASSROOM 1 Introduction to the Problem There has been much research recognizing the importance of communication between students and faculty in the classroom environment. A positive climate and sense of belonging influence students’ perceptions of a supportive community in the college classroom. In these supportive classrooms, students are able to express themselves freely and openly in nonjudgmental ways that allow strong bonds to exist. Interpersonal relationships that are formed are not exclusive to students, as this sharing of information and connections occur between instructor and students as well, one of the central components of learning. It is necessary to discuss the relationships of