PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Peggy Jean Ferguson

MA-Research
December 2008

Determinants of Student-Instructor Engagement and Perceptions of Learning

    Student-instructor engagement is a key factor in student success.  Instructor immediacy behaviors, which students use as indicators for how approachable instructors are, can impact student's motivation for in-class and out-of-class engagement.  Student characteristics have also been shown to impact engagement.  The purpose of this study was to determine if ethnicity, 1st-generation status, 1st-year status, and ethnicity and gender match between the student and the instructor impacted the effects of instructor immediacy behaviors on student-instructor engagement and thereby perceived learning.  Exploratory factor analysis indicated that a subset of instructor immediacy behaviors is more predictive of student-instructor engagement.  Instructor confrontational behaviors significantly negatively impacted engagement and perceived learning, but only for 1st-generation students.  Students with two or more risk factors (student of color, 1st-generation status, or 1st-year status) reported significant differences in nonverbal instructor immediacy behaviors, learning loss and expected learning in the class from students with one or no risk factors.

Psychology Department * CSULB * 1250 Bellflower Blvd. * Long Beach, CA  90840-0901 * 562-985-5001