Instructor Self-Disclosure as a Classroom Strategy
This is an article I wrote for the Proceedings of the Georgia Communication Association. I don't think it's accessible elsewhere, and I believe it will help someone. I have tried to synthesize the research on this subject. Abstract College instructors utilize a number of methods to engage students, gain affinity, and meet learning outcomes. One of these methods is self-disclosure. The research on self-disclosure in interpersonal settings is rich, and there are also a number of important, but sometimes inconclusive, studies about self-disclosure as a classroom strategy. Research has supported that positive and relevant self-disclosure adds to immediacy, student motivation, affective learning, and somewhat higher teacher evaluations. Research does not, however, support that self-disclosure is necessarily or consistently linked to learning gains. This paper reviews the literature and makes suggestions about best practices in using self-disclosure methods in the clas