A Comparison of Faculty and Student Perceptions of Incivility in the Classroom

Authors

  • Diana L. Rehling St. Cloud State University Author
  • Wendy L. Bjorklund St. Cloud State University Author

Abstract

Classroom incivility is a major concern in higher education today. Yet little research has been done comparing the perceptions of students and faculty about the incivility occurring in our classrooms. Based on a survey of 3,616 students and 153 faculty members at a Midwestern U.S. university, this study provides useful information about the differences and similarities between students' and faculty members' perceptions about what classroom behaviors are most uncivil and about how frequently they are experiencing these behaviors. Although student and faculty ratings of the incivility of the behaviors in the study are similar, there are significant differences in how uncivil the two groups perceive the individual behaviors to be. The results also indicate that students perceive that the uncivil behaviors are occurring more frequently than faculty members perceive them to be. These results have implications for faculty and administrators developing policies designed to manage classroom incivility.

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Published

2024-03-23