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Abstract
This study examined group communication processes at a Teaching Renewal Retreat (TRR), an event designed to share ideas and to create a community of teaching scholars. The analysis of questionnaire and interview data used both functional and dialectical perspectives to examine participants' experiences. Regression analysis results for the small groups functioning within the TRR indicated that particular group communication processes, specifically high quality communication and equal participation, predicted participants' ratings of satisfaction and effectiveness of their small groups. In addition, participants had to manage various dialectical tensions, such as inclusion and exclusion, designed and emergent structures, as well as appropriate and inappropriate participation. Overall, the combination of the two perspectives in this study provided insight into communication in these naturally occurring groups with ambiguous goals.
A previous version of this manuscript was presented at the National Communication Annual Convention in Miami Beach, FL, November 2003.
Notes
*Indicates significantly different group means (p < .05).
*Indicates significantly different group means (p < .05).
This study is a portion of a larger research project on the TRR. As part of that overall project, we were all participant observers at the TRR, with one author representing each of the four largest groups within the TRR: undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty participants, and TRR returning staff members. Since it is impossible to approach any research setting without some preconceived notions (Lindlof, Citation1995), our status influenced our interpretation of the data presented here.
Goodness of fit results for the confirmatory factor analyses for the sample data were judged by (a) a χ2/df ratio ≤ 5, (b) an NFI ≥ .90 (Bentler & Bonett, Citation1980) and (c) a CFI ≥ .95. All four scales exceeded these criteria.
Individuals frequently provided more than one response to the open-ended questions. Since this violates the assumption of independent observations, it was inappropriate to conduct statistical analyses such as chi-squares on these tables or even portions of these tables to determine which differences in frequency were statistically significant (Hays, Citation1981). As a result only frequencies are reported.