Date of Award

5-1-2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication

First Advisor

Dr. Robert Carlson

Abstract

Connected classroom climate, teacher immediacy and communication apprehension have been found to have significant impact on students. This study examines the relationship among these variables. A total of 149 students from nine sections of an introductory public speaking course successfully completed five measures for this study. The students self reported their communication apprehension both at the start of the course as well as at the end using the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension 24 (PRCA-24), and also completed surveys on their levels of state communication apprehension after two of the major speaking assignments using the Communication Anxiety Inventory: Form State (CAI). The students also completed measures rating their instructors' levels of verbal and nonverbal immediacy, using the Nonverbal Immediacy Scale-Observer Report (NIS) and the Vernal Immediacy Behaviors (VIB). Finally rhe students were asked to complete a measure of their perceptions of connected classroom climate, using the Connected Classroom Climate Inventory (CCCI). SPSS was used to explore the statistical relationships among the variables. Data analyses revealed several significant relationships including: post-course PRCA-24 public speaking and public speaking change scores with CCCI; second CAI with NIS; pre-course PRCA-24 total, meetings, and interpersonal scores with NIS; and post-course PRCA-24 total, group, meetings and interpersonal scores with NIS.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the School of Communication and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Masters of Arts in Communication University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright Katherine J. Denker May, 2005

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