Abstract

Student-instructor engagement is a key factor in student success. Instructor immediacy behaviors, which students use as indicators for how approachable instructors are, can impact student's motivation for in-class and out-of-class engagement. Student characteristics have also been shown to impact engagement. The purpose of this study was to determine if ethnicity, 1st-generation status, 1st-year status, and ethnicity and gender match between the student and the instructor impacted the effects of instructor immediacy behaviors on student-instructor engagement and thereby perceived learning. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that a subset of instructor immediacy behaviors is more predictive of student-instructor engagement. Instructor confrontational behaviors significantly negatively impacted engagement and perceived learning, but only for 1st-generation students. Students with two or more risk factors (student of color, 1st-generation status, or 1st-year status) reported significant differences in nonverbal instructor immediacy behaviors, learning loss and expected learning in the class from students with one or no risk factors.