A Study Exploring the Impact of Two Instructional Paradigms on State and Trait Communication Apprehension

Abstract

For decades the communication field has been interested in communication apprehension (CA). However, little attention has been given to developing a link between communication apprehension and instructional strategies. To test this notion, undergraduate students at a medium sized western university were exposed to experimental classrooms involving two instructional methodologies and then asked to complete state and trait CA measures. The study employed a 2x2x2 factorial design with the first factor being the instructors, the second factor being the teaching style and the third factor being the lesson plans. These data were analyzed using MANOVA and Duncan\u27s Multiple Range tests. While positive trends exist, no statistically significant differences were found. These findings are discussed in detail in the conclusion of this report