College Student Involvement: An Examination of Student Characteristics and Perceived Instructor Communication Behaviors in the Classroom

As an extension of current instructional research, this study explored students' proactive personality and academic locus of control (ALOC), along with perceived instructor clarity and nonverbal immediacy as predictors of willingness to talk in class (in-class involvement) and self-regulated learning (out-of-class involvement). Results found verbal and nonverbal messages function differently in the instructional process. Teacher clarity predicted out-of-class involvement, while nonverbal immediacy predicted in-class involvement. However, proactivity and ALOC consistently predicted students' willingness to talk in class and their self-regulated learning. Thus, a sense of ownership over one's learning environment fosters student involvement.