The Effect of Teacher Confirmation on Student Communication and Learning Outcomes

A live lecture experiment was conducted where teacher confirmation was manipulated (i.e., not confirming, somewhat confirming, confirming) across three college courses. After the lecture, students completed a post test assessing positive (i.e., student communication motives, student participation) and negative (i.e., challenge behaviors) communication behaviors they might engage in while taking a course with this instructor. Additionally, students reported on traditional learning outcomes (i.e., cognitive learning, affective learning, state motivation, student satisfaction) resulting from the lecture manipulation. Collectively, results indicated that teacher confirmation resulted in (a) more student communication for the relational, functional, and participatory motives and less communication for the excuse-making motive, (b) more student participation, (c) less challenge behavior, and (d) greater cognitive learning, affective learning, state motivation, and satisfaction.