Teacher Immediacy as a Predictor of Teaching Effectiveness

TLDR

Teacher immediacy refers to nonverbal behaviors that reduce physical and psychological distance between teachers and students. This investigation examined teacher immediacy as a potential predictor of teaching effectiveness. Teacher immediacy explained 46 % of the variance in student affect toward the instructor, 20 % toward course content, and 18 % of behavioral commitment, but did not predict cognitive learning, and a significant canonical relationship was found between immediacy and teaching effectiveness.

Abstract

This investigation examined teacher immediacy as a potential predictor of teaching effectiveness. Teacher immediacy was conceptualized as those nonverbal behaviors that reduce physical and/or psychological distance between teachers and students. Teaching effectiveness was examined in light of teacher ability to produce affective, behavioral and cognitive student learning.Hypothesized results indicated that in a multiple regression model, teacher immediacy predicted 46% of the variance in student affect toward the course instructor and about 20% of the variance in student affect toward the course content. Immediacy also predicted 18% of the variance in student behavioral commitment. Cognitive learning as operationalized by test score was not significantly predicted by teacher immediacy. Canonical correlation analysis produced one significant canonical relationship between specific and generalized teacher immediacy and teaching effectiveness.