The Relation between Teacher Self-Disclosure and Student Classroom Participation

We hypothesized that teacher self-disclosure would be positively associated with student classroom participation. This hypothesis is consistent with the reciprocity effect that suggests that self-disclosure by one person will elicit self-disclosure from another. Teachers and students in 64 undergraduate classes completed questionnaires that assessed teacher self-disclosure, class participation, and students' willingness to participate in class. Correlational analyses support the central hypothesis. We suggest that the positive relation between teacher self-disclosure and class participation may not be solely a function of the examples of class concepts that such disclosures provide but may be a function of the interpersonal atmosphere created by such disclosures. The applied implications of this research are discussed.