The Effects of Student Responsiveness on Teachers Granting Power to Students and Essay Evaluation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of student responsiveness on teachers granting relational power to students, and to determine if this power influenced how teachers evaluated student essays. Rather than student verbal and nonverbal responsiveness interacting, student nonverbal responsiveness significantly impacted the coercive, reward, and referent power that teachers granted students. Student verbal and nonverbal responsiveness affected the expert power that teachers granted students. Nine to 18% of the variance in relational power was attributed to student responsiveness. Additionally, student referent power significantly predicted teachers’ evaluation of student essays accounting for 11% of the variance.

Keywords:

• Student verbal responsiveness
• Student nonverbal responsiveness
• Student power
• Essay evaluation

A Faculty Research Enhancement Grant from Texas State University–San Marcos funded this study.

A Faculty Research Enhancement Grant from Texas State University–San Marcos funded this study.

Notes

A Faculty Research Enhancement Grant from Texas State University–San Marcos funded this study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Timothy P. Mottet

Timothy P. Mottet (EdD, West Virginia University, 1998) is Associate Professor in Communication Studies at Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666-4616, USA (Tel: [phone]; Email: [email protected])

Steven A. Beebe

Steven A. Beebe (PhD, University of Missouri, 1976) is Professor and Chair of Communication Studies at Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666-4616, USA (Tel: [phone]; Email: [email protected])

Paul C. Raffeld

Paul C. Raffeld (PhD, University of Oregon, 1973) is Professor of Psychology at Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666-4616, USA (Tel: [phone]; Email: [email protected])

Michelle L. Paulsel

Michelle L. Paulsel (Ed.D., West Virginia University, 2005) is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, College Avenue, Natchitoches, LA 71497