APPROVED: Lawrence R. Wheeless, Major Professor William E

215 Pages·2001·0.46 MB·English

by  Paul L. Witt

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF TEACHERS’ VERBAL AND NONVERBAL
IMMEDIACY, STUDENT MOTIVATION, AND COGNITIVE LEARNING
IN VIDEO INSTRUCTION
Paul L. Witt, B.M., M.M., M.A.
Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
May 2000
APPROVED:
Lawrence R. Wheeless, Major Professor
William E. Moen, Committee Member
Kathleen M. Swigger, Committee Member
Jon I. Young, Committee Member
Philip M. Turner, Dean of the School of
Library and Information Sciences
C. Neal Tate, Dean of the Robert B.
Toulouse School of Graduate Studies
Witt, Paul L., An experimental study of teachers'
verbal and nonverbal immediacy, student motivation, and
cognitive learning in video instruction. Doctor of
Philosophy (Information Science), May 2000, 180 pp., 6
tables, 1 figure, 16 appendices, references, 84 titles.
This study used an experimental design and a direct
test of recall to provide data about teacher immediacy and
student cognitive learning. Four hypotheses and a research
question addressed two research problems: first, how verbal
and nonverbal immediacy function together and/or separately
to enhance learning; and second, how immediacy affects
cognitive learning in relation to student motivation. These
questions were examined in the context of video instruction
to provide insight into distance learning processes and to
ensure maximum control over experimental manipulations.
Participants (N = 347) were drawn from university
students in an undergraduate communication course. Students
were randomly assigned to groups, completed a measure of
state motivation, and viewed a 15-minute video lecture
containing part of the usual course content delivered by a
guest instructor. Participants were unaware that the video
Copyright 2000
by
Paul L. Witt
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people helped bring this study to completion.
First, I am deeply indebted to Professor Lawrence Wheeless,
who guided me toward the field of communication technology
early in my graduate studies, then taught me how to engage
in empirical research. I am also grateful to the members of
my doctoral advisory committee and other faculty members
who have helped prepare me for an academic career. Special
thanks go to Department Chair John Gossett for supporting
me as a student in Communication Studies; Professors Barry
Lumsden and James Duban for believing in me when I found it
hard to believe in myself; and John Allison, Mel Strait,
and Halee Kotara for their assistance in carrying out this
research study.
Most of all, I want to thank my wife, Nancy, for
the countless sacrifices she has made in order that I might
reach my goals.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................... iii
LIST OF TABLES........................................ vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS................................. vii
Chapter
1. RESEARCH PROBLEM ................................... 1
Introduction
Purpose of the Study
Definition of Terms
Theoretical Considerations
Significance of the Study
Summary
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................... 15
Introduction
Nonverbal Immediacy and Student Learning
Verbal Immediacy and Student Learning
Teacher Immediacy in Video Instruction
Explaining the Effects of Teacher Immediacy
Hypotheses and Research Question
Summary
3. METHODOLOGY ........................................ 57
Introduction
Sample
Experimental Procedures
Measurements
Design and Methods of Analysis
Summary
iv
4. RESULTS ............................................ 80
Introduction
Results for Manipulation Checks
Results for Hypotheses and Research Question
Summary
5. DISCUSSION ......................................... 89
Introduction
Summary of the Study
Interpretation of Results
Implications for Teachers
Implications for Future Research
Limitations of the Study
Summary
APPENDIX.................................................127
REFERENCE LIST...........................................193
v
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Comparisons between Higher and Lower Verbal Immediacy
Scripts ...............................................66
2. Descriptive Statistics on Cognitive Learning Measure ..75
3. Ratings of Immediacy Levels as Manipulation Check .....81
4. Means on Recall for Main Effects of 2-way Analysis ....83
5. Means on Recall for Main Effects of 3-way Analysis ....87
6. Post hoc Comparisons between Means on Recall for
Experiment Groups .....................................98
vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Page
1. Means on Recall for Experimental Groups ...............95
vii
CHAPTER 1
RESEARCH PROBLEM
Introduction
This chapter introduces the purpose of the study and
defines the terms involved in the research. The theoretical
base and significance of the study are also presented in
this chapter.
Purpose of the Study
This study examined how teacher verbal immediacy and
teacher nonverbal immediacy function together and
separately to enhance cognitive learning, and how teacher
immediacy affects cognitive learning in relation to student
motivation. These questions were examined in the context of
video instruction, both to provide insight into distance
learning processes and to ensure maximum control over the
manipulation of communication variables. The purpose of the
investigation was to further the understanding of the ways
in which teacher verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors
function as effective instructional strategies, especially
in the distance education environment where reducing the
distance between teacher and learner is of paramount
importance.
1
The communication styles, strategies, and behaviors
employed by teachers play a strategic role in student
learning outcomes. For example, nonverbal communication
behaviors such as eye gaze, smiles, nods, relaxed body
posture, movement, and gestures have the effect of reducing
physical and/or psychological distance between teacher and
students, and ultimately increasing affective and cognitive
learning (Andersen, 1979; Christophel & Gorham, 1995;
Hackman & Walker, 1990; Plax, Kearney, McCroskey, &
Richmond, 1986). When classroom teachers employ these
nonverbal immediacy strategies, students indicate greater
affect or liking for the teacher, greater enjoyment of the
class, and increased perceptions of having learned from the
course (e.g., Richmond, Gorham, & McCroskey, 1987).
Similarly, verbal communication strategies may be employed
by teachers to reduce student perceptions of psychological
distance. For example, inclusive references, self-
disclosure, and present verb tense are often perceived by
students as expressions of interpersonal approach or
closeness, and the use of verbal immediacy as an
instructional communication strategy may lead to positive
learning outcomes (Gorham, 1988; Jordan, 1989; Mehrabian,
1971, 1981; Menzel & Carrell, 1999; Sanders & Wiseman,
2