The Effects of Teacher Clarity, Nonverbal Immediacy, and Caring on Student Motivation, Affective and Cognitive Learning

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of teacher clarity, teacher immediacy, and teacher caring on student motivation and affective and cognitive learning. Participants (233 undergraduate students enrolled in a freshman-level communication skills course at a large midwestern university) read descriptions of a hypothetical instructor who was described as being either low or high in nonverbal immediacy, teacher clarity, and teacher caring. Results revealed significant main effects for each independent variable and several significant two-way interactions. Data suggest that teacher behaviors, especially teacher immediacy and teacher clarity, play complimentary roles in enhancing student learning.