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Handbook of Instructional
Communication
Angela M. Hosek (Ph.D., 2011, University of Nebraska, Lincoln) is Assistant Professor and
Basic Course Director in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Her
published research focuses on student-teacher relationships, social identity, privacy and dis-
course, social media, and student success in the instructional context.
Handbook of Instructional
Communication
Rhetorical and Relational Perspectives
Second edition
Index 260
Preface
students mutually create and use verbal and nonverbal messages to manage relationships
with each other. Rather than focusing exclusively on message content, teachers and students
also acknowledge and address feelings and emotions. Although it may seem we compare
and contrast the rhetorical and relational perspectives, it is neither appropriate nor practical
to view these two traditions as polar opposites. Each typically functions in tandem with
the other and simply reflect different emphases of the instructional communication process.
The rhetorical approach is most often teacher directed, though we do present research that
addresses the influential messages students utilize in the classroom. The relational approach
is primarily a collaborative approach that exists between instructor and student.
perspective and its related theoretical frameworks for continued study. These contemporary
areas of research are essential to teaching and learning in contemporary educational con-
texts. Chapter 11 highlights research that promotes an understanding of race/ethnicity in
the classroom and Chapter 12 presents scholarship and ideas related to sexual and gender
identity in the instructional context. Unit 4 presents and examines the impact of technology
and instructional communication. It begins with an introductory narrative that explains the
need for understanding this highly specialized and contemporary area of research and leads
the reader into Chapter 13 on human-machine communication. Chapter 13 specifically
approaches research that develops theory and practice of instructional interactions between
human and machine: instructional robotics and AI gamification/avatar relations. Chapter 14
reviews the “then, now, and next” of the online learning environment. The authors present
not only the future of mediated learning but also cover the “best practices” for instructor
communication within this unique learning environment.
Unit 5, the final section of the Handbook, relates historical and contemporary approaches
to the field of instructional communication. The opening narrative in this unit frames the
preceding four chapters. Chapter 15 examines the cognitive measures within the learning
environments and the ongoing debate within instructional communication on how to accu-
rately measure knowledge and student learning. Chapter 16 reflects the contemporary views
of the value and measurement of affective learning in addition to recent criticism and ways we
might reframe this important construct. Chapter 17 presents the prospective possibilities of
utilizing biological and physiological approaches to understanding communication impacts
within the classroom. Finally, Chapter 18 examines a growing trend to approach teaching and
learning from a critical communication perspective, which presents a more complete exami-
nation of both rhetorical and relational components in the learning context.
Chapter Features
The Handbook maintains consistent pedagogical features in each chapter to allow students,
practitioners, and instructional leaders to more easily understand and examine the research
and theory discussions and to extract the communication behaviors and skills that have been
shown to enhance instructional outcomes. Thus, Chapters 2–18 feature:
• Knowledge Claims: A bulleted list that synthesizes the key learnings from the research
in the chapter.
• Teaching Communication Practices: Theory at Work: This new feature of the
Handbook includes rhetorical questions that teachers, students, and trainers can
reflect on as methods by which they can engage the chapter content in their teaching.
Additionally, this feature also includes recommendations for practical application to
move the chapter content to practice.
• Instructional Communication Research Practices: This new feature of the Handbook
includes rhetorical questions that allow researchers to consider how, if at all, they are
or could engage with ideas from the chapter in their own scholarship. This feature also
includes suggestions for future research that needs to be conducted.
• Assessment Instruments: Consistent with the first edition, we again include survey
instruments and supplemental measurement items in-text. This feature serves to
Preface xi
Acknowledgments
It is wonderful to have the opportunity to acknowledge the friends and colleagues who
inspired, supported, and helped update this Handbook. First and foremost, the editors would
like to thank the previous editors, Tim Mottet, Virginia Richmond, and James C. McCroskey
(1936–2012). We recognize this book was the result of decades of personal involvement in
this important research and essential work with the many scholars featured in the text. We
could not continue your “labor of love” without your guidance and faith in our ability to
do your book justice. We would also be remiss if we did not thank the authors of the first
edition of the Handbook. Your detailed review and writing served as a pivotal guide as we
constructed the second edition.
Of course, we would also like to thank the current chapter authors for their contribu-
tions to this text. Without their research and prolific scholarship, this Handbook would not
be complete. As co-editors, we also acknowledge the fun we had working on this project and
are grateful to have had this journey together. The editors would like to thank their team
of editors, reviewers, and colleagues who have guided this project. We thank the Taylor &
Francis team for their commitment to developing this text and for their support and guid-
ance. We could not have moved forward without the continued leadership of editor Laura
Briskman and production editor Nicole Salazar. Thank you for your patience and prompt
feedback as we try to manage the numerous details and deadlines.
Marian would like to thank members of her family, including her mom and dad (Mar-
ilyn and Marvin); husband, Steve; and children Staci and Drew and Carri Houser. Your love
and continued support of my work is incredibly helpful and always remembered. Marian
xii Preface
also sends her appreciation to her colleagues at Texas State University, where she has honed
her skills as an instructor and author.
Angela would like to thank her family, including her husband, Tim, for always know-
ing what she is capable of and doing all he can to help her “get it done.” Her children Lillie
Marie, Ayden Michael, and the newest addition to their family, Genevieve Rose, who are a
constant source of wonder and joy. Angela would also like to thank her mom, Mary, whose
presence and pride are always felt, and her father, Ralph, for his unending support. Thanks
to colleagues and friends at Ohio University who champion and encourage her work and to
all her forever and future students who enrich her life with beautiful purpose.
Kristen LeBlanc Farris (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is a Senior Lecturer and Basic
Communication Course Director at Texas State University. Kristen’s research interests
center on the ways in which individuals use communication to cope with life stressors
or chronic illnesses and the influences on partners’ relational, psychological, and health
outcomes. Kristen has published her instructional communication research in the Basic
Communication Course Annual.
Deanna L. Fassett (Ph.D., 2000, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale) is Professor of
Communication Pedagogy and Department Chair in the Department of Communication
Studies at San José State University. She is the author (with John T. Warren) of Critical
Communication Pedagogy (SAGE, 2007) and the editor (with John T. Warren) of The SAGE
Handbook of Communication and Instruction (SAGE, 2010). Her published research has
appeared in a variety of communication studies journals, including Communication and
Critical/Cultural Studies, Communication Education, and Text and Performance Quarterly.
Kory Floyd (Ph.D., 1998, University of Arizona) is a Professor in the Department of Com-
munication at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on the communication
of affection in close relationships and on its associations with health and physiological
function.
Seth S. Frei (Ph.D., 2017, University of Texas at Austin) is a lecturer in the Department of
Communication Studies at Texas State University. He teaches various courses in organi-
zational, interpersonal, and instructional communication. His research has appeared in
various communication journals and focuses on the use and development of communi-
cation skills in professional and instructional contexts.
T. Kody Frey is a doctoral student and instructor in the College of Communication and
Information at the University of Kentucky. He is mainly interested in instructional com-
munication and communication education, with a specific focus on the basic communi-
cation course. His research investigates the use of technology, pedagogical innovation,
assessment, and training as potential mechanisms for enhancing the general education
experience for both students and instructors. Kody has published in both Communication
Education and the Basic Communication Course Annual.
Brandi N. Frisby (Ph.D., 2010, West Virginia University) is Associate Professor in the School of
Information Science at the University of Kentucky. Her research examines instructor-student
relationships, student engagement, and learning.
Ann B. Frymier (Ed.D., 1992, West Virginia University) is a Professor and Associate Dean
of the Graduate College at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Her program of research has
examined effective teacher communication behaviors. Ann’s work appears in Communi-
cation Education, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Communication Quarterly,
and Psychological Reports. She is the author of the text Persuasion (3rd ed.).
Alan K. Goodboy (Ph.D., 2007, West Virginia University) is an Associate Professor in the
Department of Communication Studies at West Virginia University. His research is in
the areas of instructional communication, interpersonal communication, research meth-
ods and statistics. Alan’s recent research examines bullying in educational, organizational,
interpersonal, intergroup, and mediated contexts. He also has an avid interest in statistics
and continues his education by regularly attending advanced courses in statistical analyses.
About the Authors xv
Tina M. Harris (Ph. D., 1995, University of Kentucky) is Professor in the Department of
Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. Tina is the recipient of the Dis-
tinguished Josiah T. Meigs Teaching Professorship and the Scholarship of Teaching and
Learning award from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents for her research
on pedagogy and race.
Sean M. Horan (Ph.D., 2009, West Virginia University) is Associate Professor of Commu-
nication at Texas State University. His research centers on affection, deception, workplace
romance, and classroom justice. Sean writes a relational blog for Psychology Today and
was listed in the top 25 most prolific scholars in the communication discipline.
Angela M. Hosek (Ph.D., 2011, University of Nebraska, Lincoln) is an Assistant Professor
and Basic Course Director in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.
Her published research focuses on student-teacher relationships, social identity, privacy
and discourse, social media, and student success in the instructional context.
Marian L. Houser (Ph.D., 2002, University of Tennessee-Knoxville) is Professor in the
Communication Studies Department at Texas State University. Her research focus is
instructional communication and the student-teacher relationship in various contexts
that include organizations, training, health campaigns, and interpersonal relationships.
Marian was the recipient of the Texas State Presidential Award for Research and named
an Eastern Communication Association Research Fellow (2016).
Rebecca Johnson is a doctoral student at the University of Kansas where she is studying
interpersonal relationships, computer-mediated communication, and gender/sexuality.
Based on her publication and service record, she recently received the top student award
from her M.A. program.
Renee Kaufmann (Ph.D., 2014, University of Kentucky) is currently an Assistant Professor
in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky. Her research inter-
ests are in the areas of communication and technology and instructional communication.
Some of her research has appeared in national and international journals such as Commu-
nication Education, Communication Methods and Measures, and Health Communication.
Derek R. Lane (Ph.D., 1996, University of Oklahoma) is Senior Dean in the College of Com-
munication and Information at the University of Kentucky. Derek’s research can be clas-
sified in the broad area of face-to-face and mediated message reception and processing to
affect attitude and behavior change in instructional, organizational, and health contexts.
His research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute
of Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Science Founda-
tion and appears in Communication Monographs, Communication Education, Media Psy-
chology, Communication Research Reports, Health Promotion Practice, American Journal
of Communication, the Journal of Engineering Education, and the Journal of Experimental
Education.
Jimmie Manning (Ph.D., 2006, The University of Kansas) is Associate Professor of Com-
munication at Northern Illinois University. His research explores relationships, health,
and/or computer-mediated communication, often in conjunction with sexuality. He has
published over 70 articles/chapters, books, or other publications and has received multi-
ple teaching awards.
xvi About the Authors
Matthew M. Martin (Ph.D., 1992, Kent State University) is a Professor in the Department of
Communication Studies at West Virginia University. His main areas of research include
bullying, student-instructor communication, and communication traits.
Joseph P. Mazer (Ph.D., 2010, Ohio University) is Associate Professor and Associate Chair
of the Department of Communication at Clemson University. Joseph is Director of the
Social Media Listening Center, an interdisciplinary research lab and teaching facility. He
has published articles and book chapters on communication and social media, social and
academic support, emotion in teaching and learning, and measurement issues and trends
in communication research. He is currently ranked in the top 1% of prolific scholars in
the communication discipline spanning 2007–2011.
Mollie Murphy (M.A., 2014, University of Montana) is a doctoral student in the Department
of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on issues of
environmental justice, gender, and race from a rhetorical perspective.
Scott A. Myers (Ph.D., 1995, Kent State University) is Professor in the Department of Communi-
cation Studies at West Virginia University. His main areas of research include student-instruc-
tor communication, adult sibling relationship, and communication pedagogy. Scott’s research
has been ranked in the top 1% of prolific scholars in the communication discipline.
Keith Nainby (Ph.D., 2003, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale) is Professor of Commu-
nication Pedagogy and Department Chair in the Department of Communication Studies at
California State University, Stanislaus. His published research has appeared in venues such
as Communication Education, the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication,
Educational Studies, and The SAGE Handbook of Communication and Instruction.
Virginia P. Richmond (Ph.D., 1977, University of Nebraska) is Professor in the Department
of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Virginia is a
distinguished researcher and professor and has written books on topics including pub-
lic speaking, organizational, nonverbal, instructional, and apprehension communication.
She spent many years at West Virginia University where she won numerous awards for
her teaching and research, including an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the Univer-
sity System of West Virginia Board of Trustees and West Virginia University Institute of
Technology. Virginia was the recipient of the Donald H. Ecroyd and Caroline Drummond
Ecroyd Teaching Excellence Award from the Eastern Communication Association.
Valerie Rubinsky (M.A., 2014, Emerson College) is a doctoral student in the School of
Communication Studies at Ohio University. Valerie researches intergroup and interper-
sonal communication, and her focus is primarily on sex and relationship communication
within nonnormative relationships.
Deanna D. Sellnow (Ph.D., 1991, The University of North Dakota) is a research professor
of strategic communication in the Nicholson School of Communication at the Univer-
sity of Central Florida. Her research focuses on strategic instructional communication
in a variety of contexts including risk, crisis, and health as well as face-to-face and online
settings. She has conducted funded instructional message design and testing research for
About the Authors xvii
the United States Geological Survey, as well as for the Department of Homeland Security,
and Centers for Disease Control and Protection. She has published her work in national
and international journals, as well authored or co-authored several books including The
Challenge of Effective Speaking in a Digital Age, Communicate!, and The Rhetorical Power
of Popular Culture.
Ariana F. Shahnazi (B.A., 2013, University of California, Santa Barbara) is a doctoral stu-
dent in the Department of Communication at the University of Iowa. Her scholarship
focuses on the ways in which communication impacts resilience against disease and its
progression within the experience of cancer, chronic illness, and health care.
Jordan Soliz (Ph.D., 2004, University of Kansas) is an Associate Professor in the Department
of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His research focuses
on communication and intergroup processes primarily in personal and family relation-
ships. He also investigates processes and outcomes of intergroup contact and potential
communication processes that minimize out-group attitudes (e.g., ageism) and/or buffer
effects of discrimination.
Danielle M. Stern (Ph.D., 2007, Ohio University) is Associate Professor of Communication
at Christopher Newport University. Her research engages the role of feminism in trans-
forming popular culture and pedagogy. Her more than 20 scholarly articles have been
published in various journals and edited books.
Nicholas T. Tatum is an instructor in the Department of Communication and Sociology at
Abilene Christian University and Ph.D. student in the College of Communication and
Information at the University of Kentucky. He primarily studies instructional commu-
nication. His interests include scale development, quantitative methods, communication
technology, and training and development with research presented at numerous state,
regional, and national conferences. Nicholas’s work appears in Communication Education,
the Training Journal, and the North Dakota Journal of Speech and Theatre.
Scott Titsworth (Ph.D., 1999, University of Nebraska-Lincoln) is a Professor in the School
of Communication Studies and Dean of the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio
University. Scott’s research emphasizes classroom emotionality, teacher clarity, and stu-
dent note-taking.
Sally Vogl-Bauer (Ph.D., 1994, University of Kentucky) is Professor and an award-winning
teacher recognized by the College of Arts and Communication at the University of
Wisconsin–Whitewater for her research and service contributions. She is a former chair
of the Department of Communication and was one of the first Peer Coaches, a program
designed to assist faculty and staff with their classroom instruction. Sally is actively
involved in learning and assessment practices and implementation.
Caroline Waldbuesser (M.A., 2015, Texas State University) is a doctoral student in the
School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Caroline researches teacher
emotions in the classroom, student nonverbal responsiveness, and graduate student
experiences.
1 Historical Roots and Trajectories
of Instructional Communication
Kristen LeBlanc Farris
Texas State University
Marian L. Houser
Texas State University
Angela M. Hosek
Ohio University
Introduction 2
Historical Overview of Instructional Communication 2
Interdisciplinary Foundations of Instructional Communication 4
Educational Psychology: Learner Focus 4
Pedagogy: Instructor Focus 4
Communication: Message Focus 4
Communication as Action 5
Communication as Interaction 5
Communication as Transaction 5
Rhetorical Tradition 7
Relational Tradition 7
Current State of the Discipline 8
An Integrative Review 8
Future of Instructional Communication Scholarship: Methodological Advances 12
Longitudinal Design 12
Dyadic Data Collection and Analysis 12
Sample Recruitment 13
Theoretical Advances 13
Content and Context Advances 14
Communication Technologies 14
Identity Studies 15
Biosocial Approach 15
Dark Side 16
Summary 17
References 17
2 Kristen LeBlanc Farris et al.
Knowledge is valuable in itself, but no matter how much one knows, there is no guarantee he or she
can teach that knowledge to others. Communication is the crucial link between a knowledgeable
teacher and a learning student. From the vantage point of a professional educator, then, the differ-
ence between knowing and teaching is communication in the classroom.
(Hurt, Scott, & McCroskey, 1978, p. 3)
Introduction
For more than four decades, instructional communication scholars have explored the inter-
actions between instructors and students with the goal to improve student learning and
teaching effectiveness. Hence, instructional communication is conceptualized as “the pro-
cess by which teachers and students stimulate meanings in the minds of each other using
verbal and nonverbal messages” (Mottet & Beebe, 2006, p. 5). This definition asserts the
communication between teachers and students is transactional in nature and acknowledges
that both teachers and students are affected by the communication they share. For over
40 years, teacher-student interactions examined by instructional communication scholars
have been reported to influence student learning, motivation, and engagement as well as
teacher satisfaction, credibility, self-efficacy, and a myriad of other positively and negatively
valenced outcomes.
The overarching goal of this chapter is to present the history and trajectories of
instructional communication scholarship beginning with its roots in varied disciplines.
The first section of this chapter focuses on the history of the discipline followed by the
interdisciplinary foundations of instructional communication. Next, we review a content
analysis of 10 years’ worth of instructional communication scholarship in an attempt to
gain a holistic view of the literature since the publication of the previous edition of this
Handbook. Finally, this chapter concludes with opportunities for research reflection, and
directions for future research.
McCroskey, 2006). Additionally, when ICA launched its inaugural publication outlet, Commu-
nication Yearbook, in 1977, instructional communication scholars who authored top papers at
the convention were invited to publish their manuscripts in the yearbook. Thus, ICA housed
instructional communication scholarship, and much of the research from 1972 to 1986 was
published in Communication Yearbook (McCroskey & McCroskey, 2006). After this, editors
in other communication journals such as Communication Quarterly and Communication
Research Reports began to invite instructional communication scholarship.
The first doctoral program in instructional communication was developed at West Vir-
ginia University in 1973. This occurred after faculty in the department began teaching a class
entitled “Communication in the Classroom” for K–12 instructors. Doctoral students in the
instructional communication program at West Virginia University team-taught the course
for elementary and secondary education teachers while simultaneously learning about the
field as part of their coursework. According to data provided by the National Communi-
cation Association (2012), three instructional communication doctoral programs currently
exist. However, students interested in studying instructional communication at the graduate
level are able to find coursework and faculty advisors who study instructional communica-
tion at numerous institutions such as: Illinois State University, Ohio University, San Diego
State University, Texas Christian University, Texas State University, University of Kentucky,
University of Miami of Ohio, and West Virginia University, to name a few.
Additionally, instructional communication scholars are able to find professional homes
at many regional, national, and international associations. Communication Education, formerly
known as The Speech Teacher, is considered the flagship journal in instructional communica-
tion and is published by the National Communication Association. Dallas C. Dickey served
as the first editor (Frymier, 2014), and the emphasis was originally, and solely, on teaching
communication content. Today, the journal is focused more specifically on publishing instruc-
tional communication scholarship. Many of the international, national, and regional associa-
tions have interest groups and subdivisions that center on the study of teaching and learning:
International Communication Association, National Communication Association, Central
States Communication Association (CSCA), Eastern Communication Association (ECA), and
Western States Communication Association (WSCA). CSCA has recently announced it will
sponsor a new journal entitled Journal of Communication Pedagogy that will invite manuscripts
focused on both instructional communication and communication education.
Additionally, the Basic Course Directors’ conference is held annually, where faculty
from across the United States discuss issues involving communication curricula, commu-
nication assessment, and instructional communication practices. Research surrounding the
basic communication course has its own outlet in the Basic Communication Course Annual,
currently published online through the University of Dayton. Communication Teacher also
predominantly publishes manuscripts focused on communication education, although
instructional communication scholars seek both of these outlets for publishing. Along with
these publications, instructional communication scholars continue to publish in journals
devoted to more general communication scholarship including Communication Quarterly,
Communication Research Reports, and the Western Journal of Communication.
In addition to exploring the history of the discipline, we trace the interdisciplinary
roots of instructional communication as a field of study. In the following section, we provide
a discussion of three distinct disciplines that have contributed to the development of instruc-
tional communication scholarship.
4 Kristen LeBlanc Farris et al.
Communication as Action
The model referred to as “communication as action,” presented by scholars beginning in the
late 1940s (Lasswell, 1948; Shannon & Weaver, 1949), assumes the process is linear and a source
encodes a message and shares this with a receiver. The receiver is not provided the opportunity
to respond. The communication as action model is not commonly used by instructors, as it
places greater emphasis on the instructor rather than the interaction between teachers and
students (Mottet & Beebe, 2006). One example of this linear process model in education envi-
ronments might be when instructors record their lectures and allow their students to watch the
videos asynchronously. Students would interpret the messages that their instructor conveyed in
the video but would not be able to provide feedback within the same interaction.
Communication as Interaction
The communication as interaction model introduces a feedback loop from the receiver to
the source, and receivers now have the opportunity to encode messages to deliver back to the
source. Although Schramm (1954) was the first to identify the feedback loop in a depic-
tion of the communication process, other scholars, particularly those from the cybernetic
tradition, also influenced communication scholars to commonly include a feedback loop
into models of human communication (Rogers, 1994). In the classroom context, instructors
who predominantly serve as the source of messages, yet allow students the opportunity to
respond to questions as well as ask questions themselves, exemplify this model. Further,
Mottet and Beebe (2006) asserted that an instructor’s ability to adapt their verbal and non-
verbal messages to meet the needs of students (conveyed to them via a feedback loop) is a
vital component of the communication as interaction model.
Communication as Transaction
Both partners in the communication as transaction model simultaneously enact the roles of source
and receiver. Scholars view this model as a nonlinear one in which both interactants co-create and
negotiate shared meaning through verbal and nonverbal messages (Berlo, 1960; Mottet & Beebe,
2006). In classroom settings, instructors who ascribe to the notion that both teachers and stu-
dents learn from one another tend to model this form of communication. Further, participants in
6 Kristen LeBlanc Farris et al.
these learning environments openly share and respect each other’s ideas, opinions, and feelings.
Seminar-style classes often promote this transactional model of communication.
As demonstrated in Figure 1.1, the conceptualization of communication occurs across
a continuum with communication-as-action and communication-as-transaction acting as
the bipolar endpoints and communication-as-interaction as midpoint. Further, the model
depicts the nature of the communication models in relation to the rhetorical and relational
traditions of the discipline (Cohen, 1994; Howell, 1954; McCroskey & Richmond, 1996;
Mottet & Beebe, 2006; Shepherd, 1992; Wallace, 1954). These two perspectives have largely
influenced instructional communication scholarship; thus, the following section of the chap-
ter is devoted to a discussion of these traditions.
Rhetorical Tradition
The rhetorical tradition centers on instructor use of verbal and nonverbal messages to influ-
ence or persuade students with the goal of either changing or reinforcing their attitudes,
beliefs, values, or behaviors. McCroskey and Richmond (1996) noted that rhetorical com-
munication functions “to get others to do what you want or need them to do and/or think the
way you want or need them to think” (p. 234). In the classroom setting, this might involve
getting students to comply with requests or encouraging them to believe the course content
is important to their personal, professional, or public lives.
The roots of the rhetorical tradition are traced back to Aristotle’s Rhetoric in 333 bce,
in which he discussed ethos, pathos, and logos as primary means of persuasion. Ethos
refers to the ethical character of the instructor and emphasizes the speaker’s credibil-
ity. Student perceptions of instructor credibility involve trustworthiness, competence,
and caring or goodwill (McCroskey, Holdridge, & Toomb, 1974; Teven & McCroskey,
1997). Students are more likely to be influenced by instructors they perceive to be
ethical or to enact ethos via verbal and nonverbal messages. Chapter 3 of this Hand-
book presents an overview of the instructional communication literature related to
instructor credibility.
Pathos refers to the use of emotional messages to influence others. In the classroom
context, emotion plays a key role in teacher (i.e., emotion labor, burnout) and student (i.e.,
affect, motivation) outcomes. For instance, previous research has demonstrated that emo-
tion is vital to the teaching-learning process (Doan, 2010; Hascher, 2010; Titsworth, Quin-
lan, & Mazer, 2010). Chapter 10 discusses communication behaviors that influence emotion
and arise as a result of emotional responses.
Logos refers to the use of logic and reasoning in messages to persuade or influence oth-
ers. At least part of conveying logically sound and rational messages in the classroom deals
with instructor clarity, or “the fidelity of instructional messages” (Powell & Harville, 1990,
p. 372). Chapter 2 includes a discussion on the findings in the instructional communication
literature about teacher clarity and its associated outcomes.
More generally, instructors teaching from the rhetorical tradition tend to enact more
linear communication models in their classrooms (i.e., communication as action, interac-
tion). From this perspective, teachers are viewed as the primary source of messages in the
classroom, whereas students are perceived to be the primary receivers of those messages.
Relational Tradition
Instructors who ascribe to the relational tradition enact verbal and nonverbal messages with
the aim of establishing a relationship or ongoing connection with their students (Beebe,
Beebe, & Redmond, 2017; Mottet & Beebe, 2006). The relational perspective involves “two
(or more) people coordinat[ing] to reach a shared perspective satisfactory to all. Of para-
mount concern is the relationship between the two people and the perceived well-being of
the ‘other’” (McCroskey & Richmond, 1996, p. 234).
In the late 1950s, Martin Buber described distinctions between “I-It” relationships and
“I-Thou” relationships. “I-It” relationships predominantly include impersonal communica-
tion where partners respond only through reliance on role expectations and communication
8 Kristen LeBlanc Farris et al.
scripts (Buber, 1958). Communication in “I-Thou” relationships are more spontaneous and
unique to the relational partner in the interaction. In the classroom context, instructors and
students involved in an “I-It” relationship may engage in little self-disclosure, and therefore,
knowledge about the other person is limited. Interactions would focus specifically on infor-
mation transmission and course content. If teachers and learners are involved in an “I-Thou”
relationship, they communicate on the basis of their knowledge of the other person and thus,
are characterized by increased sharing. Although most teacher-student relationships exist
somewhere in between on this continuum, many scholars have discussed these relationships
as interpersonal in nature.
The relational tradition emphasizes shared characteristics of interpersonal relation-
ships that include relational development (DeVito, 1986), emotional expression (Ellis, 2000,
2004; Mottet & Beebe, 2006), goal-oriented communication, conflict management, and
inequity of power that exists in specific interpersonal relationships (i.e., parent-child; Fry-
mier & Houser, 2000).
Although this section emphasizes distinctions between the rhetorical and relational
traditions of the discipline, these perspectives should merely be considered opposite sides
of the same coin. Instructors communicating from the relational and rhetorical traditions
have the same goal in mind—to effectively facilitate student learning. The means of accom-
plishing this goal may differ, depending on which perspective an instructor ascribes to (i.e.,
more teacher centered or more collaborative in nature). Therefore, instructional communi-
cation scholars should continue to use relational and rhetorical perspectives as a framework
to guide the study of the discipline.
An Integrative Review
To answer the three questions regarding the state of the discipline, an integrative review
technique was selected to allow for the combination of diverse methodologies (e.g., exper-
imental and nonexperimental research) (Whittemore & Knafl, 2005) and to establish the
Roots and Trajectories 9
“lay of the land.” All articles published between 2006 and 2016 in Communication Edu-
cation were downloaded, and a randomized list of the articles was created. We employed
a systematic random sampling technique and a 95% confidence level to identify a subset
of articles (n = 140) from the sampling frame. Articles were not retained in the final data
set if they did not include empirical data or a rhetorical/critical analysis. In other words,
forums, editorials, commentaries, and other reviews of the literature were excluded from
this sample.
After the random sample was identified, a codebook was created containing article
characteristics of interest: authors of the manuscripts, purpose of the study, key variables of
interest, methodology (i.e., critical/rhetorical, qualitative, quantitative), data analysis tech-
nique, and theoretical framework or model guiding the studies. After initial coding, the first
author compared the categories and collapsed similar concepts and theories. For instance,
“affective learning” and “cognitive learning” were combined to create a category labeled “stu-
dent learning outcomes.”
Although the goal of this chapter is to examine the current state of the literature, it
must be noted that because of the sampling procedure it would be inappropriate to defini-
tively state this analysis is representative of the literature as a whole. However, the use of a
random sampling technique and identifying a sample within a 5% sampling error bolsters
confidence in the general trends, which are reported as follows: 105 studies (75%) examined
student perceptions, eight studies examined teacher or faculty perceptions (5.7%), and three
studies recruited from both student and teacher participant pools. The smallest study sample
included was 32 college students (Thompson, 2008) who engaged in in-depth daily diary
interviews analyzed using grounded theory. The largest study sample included in this review
was 6,166 college students (Richards, 2012) whose data were gathered as part of student
completion of coursework and analyzed using various statistical analyses (i.e., t-test, multi-
ple regression). The typical large-sample study ranged from approximately 100–300 partic-
ipants (most frequently college students), whereas the typical small-sample study included
30–40 participants. Seven studies (5%) collected data from students, teachers, or parents in
K–12 education settings. Eight studies (5.7%) included in the sample recruited students or
teachers from international universities and schools. Finally, most of the study samples were
recruited from one educational institution.
The questions we posed centered on identifying the research methodologies most
commonly used, the key theories that guided the studies, and the most commonly studied
constructs. See Table 1.1 for a report of the study descriptives and results. All study meth-
odologies are included in the table. However, only theories that appeared at least twice and
constructs that appeared at least 10 times in the data set were reported in the table. It should
be noted that theories were coded as such if the authors explicitly stated a model, framework,
or theory in the literature review section of the manuscript. However, many of those studies
did not systematically test the propositions of the theories.
Two major themes regarding the state of the instructional communication litera-
ture emerged from the results of the content analysis. First, the results continue to support
Waldeck and colleagues’ (2001) assertion that instructional communication scholarship is
largely “variable-analytic [research that] . . . perpetuates the notion that instructional com-
munication research is atheoretical” (p. 225). Further, the studies guided by theory continue
to feature those borrowed from other disciplines (i.e., psychology, education) or from other
areas of communication scholarship (i.e., interpersonal, organizational) instead of research
TABLE 1.1 Summary and Descriptives of Included Articles
n %
Q1 Results—Methodologies
Quantitative Methodology 103 73.6%
Survey 66 47.1%
Experiment 26 18.6%
Meta-Analysis 4 2.9%
Quasi-Experiment 3 2.1%
Qualitative Methodology 17 12.1%
Interview 8 5.7%
Narrative/Open-Ended Survey Responses 5 3.6%
Textual Analysis 4 2.9%
Participant Observations 2 1.4%
Mixed Methodology 21 15.0%
Quantitative/Qualitative 20 14.3%
Qualitative/Critical 1 0.7%
Rhetorical Methodology (Discourse Analysis) 1 0.7%
Q2 Results—Theories
Atheoretical 64 45.7%
Instructional Communication Theory 8 5.7%
Emotional Response 5 3.6%
Rhetorical/Relational Goal 3 2.1%
Instructional Humor Processing 2 1.4%
Psychology Theory 9 6.4%
Attribution 5 3.6%
Feedback Intervention 2 1.4%
Information Processing 2 1.4%
Interpersonal Communication Theory 9 6.4%
Relational Power 3 2.1%
Communication Privacy Management 2 1.4%
Interaction Adaptation 2 1.4%
Predicted Outcome Value 2 1.4%
Language-Based Theory (Face/Politeness) 6 4.3%
Learning Model (Affective Learning) 2 1.4%
Mediated Communication Theory (Media Richness) 2 1.4%
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