The Relation Between Teacher Self-Disclosure and Student Motives to Communicate

Teacher behaviors have an impact on student engagement. This study examined the relation between teacher self-disclosure and student motives to communicate in the classroom. Three dimensions of teacher self-disclosure were studied: amount, relevance, and negativity. Results indicated that (a) the teacher self-disclosure dimension of negativity was related to the relational, participatory, excuse-making, and sycophancy motives; and (b) the amount and relevance dimensions of teacher self-disclosure were related to the functional and participatory motives.