The Effect of Teacher Nonverbal Immediacy and Credibility on Student Motivation and Affective Learning

This study hypothesized that teacher nonverbal immediacy and credibility interact to impact student motivation and affective learning. Utilizing an experimental 2 x 2 (immediacy high/low, credibility high/low) factorial design, 586 students were exposed to one of four written scenarios and completed motivation and affective learning scales. Results indicate that students experience more affective learning and motivation with highly immediate, highly credible teachers and experience the least motivation and affective learning with low-immediate, low-credibility teachers. Further, students experienced more affective learning with low-immediate, high credibility teachers, compared with high immediate, low-credibility teachers. This study indicates that effective teaching is a function of both personal communication between teachers and students as well as teacher credibility.