A longitudinal analysis of students’ motives for communicating with their instructors

ABSTRACT

This study utilized the longitudinal survey research design using students’ motives to communicate with their instructors as a test case. Participants were 282 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory communication courses at a large Mid-Atlantic university who completed the Student Communication Motives scale at three points (Time 1: second week, Time 2: eighth week, Time 3: 14th week) during the Spring semester. The use of the longitudinal survey research design revealed three motives fluctuated in use: (a) the relational motive was used more at Time 3 than at Time 2, (b) the functional motive was used less between both Time 1 and Time 3 and Time 2 and Time 3, and (c) the sycophancy motive was used less between Time 1 and Time 2, but more between Time 2 and Time 3. The advantages of using a longitudinal survey research design in instructional communication studies are reviewed.

KEYWORDS:

• longitudinal survey research
• cross-sectional survey research
• students’ motives for communicating with their instructors
• classroom communication
• instructional communication

Notes

1. Although asking participants to report these data during the second and third data-collection points was redundant, this request was made to ensure that the participants completed the Student Communication Motives scale in reference to the instructor they identified during the first data-collection point. Using this procedure proved helpful, as 25 participants in the second data-collection point and 10 participants in the third data-collection point failed to reference the same instructor they identified during the first data-collection point.