Cognitive learning in the presence of immediacy: an exploratory study of the relationship between perceived and actual cognitive learning and nonverbal immediacy

Abstract

The immediacy construct continues to be a hot topic in Instructional Communication. It is shown repeatedly to positively affect student perceptions of the classroom. Although student perceptions of the classroom are important for a more conducive learning environment, increasing student learning is also important. The effects of teacher immediacy on cognitive learning are still unclear due largely in part to the inability to consistently and accurately assess actual learning. Many studies relate cognitive learning to immediacy, but the primary use of student self-reports to measure cognitive learning limits the interpretation to student perceptions of their learning rather than necessarily actual learning. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between perceived cognitive learning and actual cognitive learning. Although the data of this study supports previous findings that perceived student learning relates to teacher nonverbal immediacy, this study found no relationship between perceived and actual cognitive learning.