Because most instructional communication research has been conducted within the United States, the purpose of this study was to develop an enhanced understanding of the student--instructor relationship outside the United States using the instructional beliefs model and rhetorical and relational goals theory. Specifically, we examined the effects…

The purpose of the current investigation is to examine the self-reported messages and behaviors teachers enact to demonstrate their (in)authentic selves to students. Using a thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses from 51 collegiate instructors, results indicate that teachers demonstrate authenticity through "openness" and…

In this paper, we first frame Sprague's vision in the historical context from which it emerged. From there, we explore some contemporary concerns instructional communication researchers must grapple with, and then propose some practical next steps for envisioning instructional communication research as a platform for meaningful contributions…

This study incorporates communication accommodation theory to investigate how student perceptions of instructor nonaccommodation influence affective and cognitive classroom outcomes. A series of two-level hierarchical linear models (students nested within instructors) revealed significant, negative associations between specific modes of instructor…

Do we study too much interpersonal communication and not enough of other topics in the instructional communication literature? This forum provides a mixed bag of both affirmative and negative responses to this question. On one hand, answering "yes" is quite defensible because there are many recent studies examining interpersonal…

This study examines how different social interdependence structures influence students' perceptions of anticipated affective learning, motivation, classroom communication apprehension, and classroom climate. Participants were randomly assigned one of three conditions (cooperative, competitive, and individualistic) and were asked to complete a…

In this article, I offer a story, rendered in creative nonfiction, of my experience as a young and flustered college professor challenged by a defiant and disruptive graduate student. The story is followed by a critical reflection of the experience where I examine the role of communication and culture in regard to classroom disruptions and assess…

In this brief forum article, the authors suggest that in order to truly understand communication education, both interpersonal and instructional variables must be analyzed. Instructors, researchers, and scholars need to find balance between content and relationship aspects while being aware of context boundaries to truly assist in maximizing…

In 1938, Dewey wrote "Mankind likes to think in terms of extreme opposites." In this response to the FORUM essays, Deanna Sellnow writes that she heard Dewey's words as she read the authors' struggle with the either-or question regarding the role of interpersonal communication in instructional research. She argues that this is not an…

The authors begin this article noting that they believe gathering data on student behaviors, traits, and characteristics is essential for understanding how students affect instructional communication processes. They write here that what is equally essential, however, is exploring how student developmental processes (i.e., the ways in which…

Replication is a fundamental principle of social science, enabling researchers to verify the accuracy of empirical findings, clarify the conditions under which phenomena occur, and further validate the social significance of research (Brandt et al., 2014). However, a lack of replication research has been published in instructional communication…

Instructional communication (IC) scholars have made significant contributions to the study of educational outcomes by creating a deep understanding of the teacher-student relationship (Mottet & Beebe, 2006). IC research published in "Communication Education" and other outlets therefore appropriately emphasizes interpersonal…

In this article the author addresses whether educators have accumulated sufficient knowledge about interpersonal communication in the instructional context--at least as it pertains to the relational perspective--"and" whether other meaningful topics in the instructional communication literature have been ignored. The author's purpose…

Reading through the articles in this issue of "Communication Education" took incoming editor, Deanna Dannels, back in time to reflect on a camping trip in North Carolina where she and her daughter went gem mining. She reflects on the the one piece of advice from the employee who taught them how to gem mine: "If you want to find…

In this response, Scott Titsworth analyzes similarities among the forum essays and then offers ideas for how instructional communication scholars might adopt greater situational awareness in research, theory, and application of their work. [Other essays in this forum include: (1) FORUM: Interpersonal Communication in Instructional Settings: The…