A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Student Resistance in College Classrooms: The Effects of Teacher Misbehaviors and Credibility

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of teacher misbehaviors and credibility with student resistance in U.S. and Chinese college classrooms. Findings indicate that Chinese college students report a higher level of resistance than U.S. college students. Teacher misbehaviors and credibility have differing associations with student resistance in the U.S. and Chinese college classrooms. Specifically among the 3 dimensions of teacher misbehaviors, in the United States, teacher indolence and incompetence contribute the most to student resistance, explaining 27% of the variance in student resistance; but in China, teacher offensiveness is the only source of student resistance, accounting for 10% of the variance in student resistance. Among the 3 dimensions of teacher credibility, in the United States, teacher trustworthiness and competence are the effective predictors of student resistance, explaining 19% of the variance in student resistance; whereas in China, teacher trustworthiness is the only predictor of student resistance, accounting for 6% of the variance in student resistance.

Keywords:

• Cross-Culture
• Student Resistance
• Teacher Credibility
• Teacher Misbehaviors

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. James Shanahan for his assistance with data analysis.

Notes

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Qin Zhang

Qin Zhang (Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 2005) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Fairfield University.

Jibiao Zhang

Jibiao Zhang (B.A., Central China Normal University, 1985) is an associate professor in the School of Foreign Languages at Central China Normal University.

Ana-Alyse Castelluccio

Ana-Alyse Castelluccio was an undergraduate student in the Department of Communication at Fairfield University.