The Impact of Faculty-Student Interactions on Teaching Behavior: An Investigation of Perceived Student Encounter Orientation, Interactive Confidence, and Interactive Practice

Abstract

Previous research has examined satisfactory and unsatisfactory faculty-student interactions from only the student's viewpoint. In this research, the authors used a national sample of marketing professors' self-reported satisfactory and dissatisfactory critical incidents with students. Their findings support previous incident classification schemes. They identified five specific behavior outcomes resulting from critical interactions with students: method and material changes; requirements clarification; reinforcing actions; student praise; and greater authoritativeness. The authors also introduce three constructs—student encounter orientation, instructor interaction confidence, and instructor interaction practice—and discuss the relationship of constructs to incident classifications, the (dis)satisfactory nature of an interaction, and behavioral responses.