Instructor misbehaviors as predictors of students’ writing apprehension

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to identify how instructor misbehaviors influence students’ writing apprehension. Research prior to this study determined that students’ writing performance is hindered by their writing apprehension (e.g., Zabihi, 2018). The present study’s data indicate instructor misbehaviors of antagonism and lectures indirectly influence students’ writing apprehension through the mediation of students’ burnout. As such, the more instructors show antagonism and engage in boring, disorganized lecturing behaviors, the higher their students’ writing apprehension. Without careful communication management, professors of writing-intensive courses whose primary role is to help students improve their writing skills may become the barrier that prevents students from improving their writing skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Instructor misbehaviors
• perceived immediacy
• burnout
• writing apprehension

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephanie Kelly

Dr. Stephanie Kelly is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Information Systems and Analytics at North Carolina A&T State University. She can be contacted at [email protected]

Michelle Violanti

Dr. Michelle T. Violanti is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee. She can be contacted at [email protected]

Emily Denton

Ms. Emily Denton is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Comparative Humanities at the University of Louisville. She can be contacted at [email protected]

Ian Berry

Mr. Ian Berry is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Communication at North Dakota State University. He can be contacted at [email protected]