Perceived Teacher Credibility and Student Learning: Development of a Multicultural Model

The primary goal of this study was to test a credibility-learning model in U.S., Chinese, German, and Japanese classrooms. Using structural equation modeling, an etic credibility-learning model was generated from the common significant paths of the hypothesized model across the four cultures. Teacher credibility showed only an indirect relationship to cognitive learning, mediated by affective learning and motivation. Specifically, teacher competence and caring showed a positive relationship to affective learning, which, in turn, was associated with motivation, which was then related to cognitive learning, but teacher trustworthiness had neither direct nor indirect association with affective learning, motivation, or cognitive learning. Additionally, the results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the three-factor model of teacher credibility applied across the four cultural groups.